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I 



A HISTORY 
OF PENNSYLVANIA 



BY 

ALLEN C. THOMAS, A.M. 

PROFESSOR OF HISTORY IN HAVERFORD COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA 

AUTHOR OF "an ELEMENTAEY HISTORY OF THE UNITED 

STATES," "a history OF THE UNITED STATES" 

" A HISTORY OF ENGLAND," ETC. 




D. C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS 

BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO 






Copyright, 1913, 
By D. C. Heath & Co. 

1F3 



©CI.A,'{50290 



PREFACE 

This book has been written to furnish a brief yet 
adequate account of the history of Pennsylvania in a form 
which will commend itself to teachers and pupils. 

It is beheved that no event essential to a correct \iew 
of the history of the State has been omitted, and the 
effort has been made to present an impartial and truthful 
picture. 

The author has, in general, followed the chronological 
order of events, believing that, on the whole, the progress 
and development of the State can in that way best be 
understood. A general knowledge of the history of the 
United States has been taken for granted, and only those 
facts which are directly connected with the history of 
Pennsylvania have been mentioned. 

ALLEN C. THOMAS 
Haverford, Pennsylvania 
May 22, igij 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I Early Settlements i 

II William Penn 12 

III Land Grant and Charter of Pennsylvania 18 

IV William Penn in Pennsylvania 31 

V Pennsylvania under Deputy Governors. Penn in 

England 44 

VI Penn's Second Visit to Pennsylvania 55 

VII Pennsylvania in the Early Eighteenth Century. 

William Penn 62 

VIII Early Pennsylvania under Penn's Successors .... 73 

IX Political, Colonial, and Indian Problems 89 

X Colonial Wars 99 

XI Boundary Disputes 118 

XII The Stamp Act, and the Early Stages of the Revolution 125 

XIII Pennsylvania in the Revolution 143 

XIV After the Revolution 162 

XV Conditions in the State about 1800 186 

XVI Pennsylvania in 1800-18 17 207 

XVII Politics and Internal Improvements. Education . . . 216 

XVIII Political and Financial Conditions, 1835-1845 .... 231 

XIX National Politics, Literature, Anti-Slavery, Education 245 

XX Pennsylvania and the Civil War 255 

XXI Speculation, Petroleum, New Constitution, Strikes . . 267 

XXII Celebrations, Politics, Labor Troubles 274 

XXIII Conclusion . , 281 

APPENDIX 293 

Government of Pennsylvania 293 

Officials of the U. S. Government from Pennsylvania . . 296 

Chronological Table of Interesting Events 299 

Counties and County Towns 302 

INDEX 305 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

CHAPTER I 

EARLY SETTLEMENTS 

English Settlements in America. — The story of the Eng- 
lish settlements in North America is long and interesting. 
There is much of romance and adventure in it, and not 
a Kttle of suffering, of disaster, and of failure. But the 
story of the early EngHsh settlement of Pennsylvania is for 
the most part one of peace and prosperity. The settler on 
the borders of the forest did not fear the attack of the sav- 
age Indian as did his New England brother, and few families 
had to bewail the captivity of women and children. Many 
of the privations of the frontier were unknown to the early 
settlers of thi's middle land. Why Pennsylvania was so 
different from most of the other colonies will be seen as we 
go on with her history. 

Though the English claimed the Atlantic coast of North 
America from Maine to Florida, there was in 1680, but a 
fringe of settlements along the seaboard. Strange to say, 
one of the most fertile and desirable parts of the country 
east of the Alleghanies was almost bare of Europeans. This 
was the land west of New Jersey, south of New York, and 
north of Maryland and Virginia, which is now known as 
Pennsylvania. True, there were some settlers along the Dela- 
ware Bay and River, but they were few. They were of 
three nationalities, Dutch, Swedish, and English. 



2 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The Indians ; Dela wares. — How many Indians there were 
in the year 1680 in what is now Pennsylvania cannot be 
known, although some think there were about five thousand. 
These Indians were scattered throughout the territory, and 
their villages were far apart. 

The Indians in the Delaware Valley were called the 
Lenni Lenape or Delawares. Little is known of their his- 
tory, for they had no records, or monuments, and few tradi- 
tions. They hunted and fished, and cultivated lands, raising 
Indian corn and vegetables. They had a few rude manu- 
factures, but did not know the use of metals. They had 
no domestic animals except dogs. They carried themselves 
well, and were, says William Penn, "Tall, straight, well built, 
and of singular good proportion. They tread strong and 
clear, and mostly walk with a lofty chin; . . . their eye is 
little and black." Their hair also was black and straight and 
their skin was reddish brown or copper colored. 

The Lenni Lenape or Delawares were divided into three 
tribes, the Minsi or Minisinks, the Unami, and the Unalach- 
tigo. The Minsi lived north of the Lehigh River, the Unami 
south of the Lehigh as far as the mouth of the Schuylkill, 
and the Unalachtigo, south of the Schuylkill. It was with 
the last two that WilHam Penn made his celebrated treaties. 
The totem or mark of the Minsi was the wolf; of the 
Unami, the turtle; and of the Unalachtigo, the turkey.^ 

In addition to the tribes named there were the Shawnees 
or Shawanese, who came from the South about 1700, and 
the Conestogas, an Iroquois tribe, living on the Susquehanna, 
and other Iroquois and Algonkin tribes. 

Indian Characteristics. — The chief of the tribe was called 

^ Each clan or tribe had as its totem or emblem the figure of the beast, bird, 
reptile, plant, or other object from which its name is derived. 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS 3 

a sachem, and he with the older men governed the tribe, 
but when the question of making war came up all the war- 
riors or braves took part. Everything was done with dig- 
nity, and after careful discussion. Whatever faults the 
Indians had, and they were many, they were faithful to their 




Delaware Indian.^ . . ..... ."^evextee.xth Ce.vturv 

treaties and promises if the other party was also faithful. 
William Penn said of those with whom he was famihar, "Do 
not abuse them, but let them have justice, and >ou win 
them." On the other hand, the Indians were cruel and 
revengeful to their enemies. They hesitated at no trick, 
no deception, or unlooked-for attack, and treated men, 
women, and children without mercy, no matter how innocent 
they might be. Their greatest trophies were the scalps of 
their enemies, and the num])er of scalps a warrior could dis- 
play w^as the measure of his bravery and skill. 



4 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The Delawares were more peaceful than many of those 
with whom the settlers of other colonies came in contact. 
But time showed that when roused by ill-treatment, injus- 
tice, and fraud, they could be as savage and revengeful as 
any of their race. 

Henry Hudson. — The first Englishman to enter Delaware 
Bay was probably Henry Hudson, who was in the service 
of the Dutch, and was seeking for a northwest passage to 
India. In August, 1609, he entered the bay in his small 
vessel, the Half Moon^ and at first thought that he had 
found the longed-for strait. The shoal water a few miles 
inside the capes drove away all hope of that, and sailing 
away northward he soon discovered New York Bay and the 
noble river which now bears his name. 

On account of Hudson's discovery the Dutch claimed not 
only the lands near the North or Hudson River, but also 
those near the South or Delaware River. In 16 10 an English 
captain is said to have anchored in the bay and named the 
southern cape De La Warre, and the English began to call 
the bay, Delaware, in honor of the governor of Virginia. 

Captain Mey; Hendricksen. — Another captain in the 
service of the Dutch, Cornelius Jacobsen Mey or May, sailed 
along the coast about 16 14, and reaching this most southern 
point of what we call New Jersey, named it after himself, 
a name which the cape still retains. One of his vessels hav- 
ing been burned, he built at Manhattan (New York) another, 
only forty-live feet long, which was named the Onrust 
(Restless). In this small craft another Captain, Cornelius 
Hendricksen, sailed up Delaware Bay and River in 16 16, 
carefully exploring them. He probably went as far as the 
site of Philadelphia and discovered the Schuylkill River. 
On his return he gave a glowing account of what he had 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS 



w^^^ 







Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey 

seen: woods filled with deer, turkeys, and partridges, and 
other game and vines full of grapes. 

Dutch Colonies on the Delaware. — The Dutch West 
India Company, founded in 162 1, was organized by a Swede 
named Wilham Ussehnx. Under its auspices a vessel was 
sent out to the South (Delaware) River under Captain ^ley, 
with instructions to build a fort for the purpose of defense 
and for trading with the natives. This was done at the place 
where Gloucester, New Jersey, now stands. It was named 
Fort Nassau.^ 

^ The site is opjiositc the southern part of Phihulclphia. 



6 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

A colony was started by the Dutch in 1629. Through 
Peter Minuit, Governor of Manhattan, land was bought 
from the Indians, and in 1631 colonists to the number of 
about thirty settled near where Lewes, Delaware, now is, 
and called the place Swannendael. The next year, owing 




Dutch Colonists and Indians 



to a dispute, all the settlers were killed by Indians and 
the colony destroyed. 

Fort Nassau, which had been abandoned by the Dutch, 
was re-occupied by them in 1633 when they bought from 
the Indians lands on the Schuylkill River, and built a small 
block house for trading purposes. 

The Swedes on the Delaware. — The great Swedish hero, 
Gustavus Adolphus, wished Sweden to have a share in 
colonizing the New World, and one of the last things he did 
before the Battle of Liitzen (1632) in which he lost his life, 
was to sign a charter making provision for settlements. The 
king's plans were carried out by Count Oxenstiern, the 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS 



Chancellor of Sweden, and near the close of 1637 two small 
vessels filled with Swedish and Finnish colonists set sail for 
the South or Delaware River, which was reached in 1638. 

Peter Minuit, who had left the Dutch, and entered the 
service of the Swedes, was made leader of this expedition. 
He was well fitted for his post on account 
of his experience as governor of Manhat- 
tan. The little colony landed near where 
Wilmington, Delaware, now is, built a 
fort which was called, after the Swedish 
queen, Fort Christina. Minuit also 
bought from the natives (1638) 
all the west shore of the Dela- 
ware from Bombay Hook to 
the Schuylkill River. 

When the Dutch at Fort 
Nassau heard of the Swedish 
colony they protested against 
the intrusion, as did also the 
Dutch governor, Kieft, at 
Manhattan, and the English 
in Virginia. Minuit paid httle 
or no attention to these pro- 
tests. The colony drove a thriving trade with the Indians, 
with whom they continued to be on friendly terms. In 1640 
the Swedes bought of the Indians the land along the Dela- 
ware River from the Schuylkill River as far as the falls at 
Trenton. 

Governor Printz. — The settlement at Fort Christina 
increased in population; the houses were small and incon- 
venient, and were built of round logs with the crevices 
plastered with clay; the doors were so low that one had to 




Map showing Early Dutch and 
Swedish Settlements 



8 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

stoop when entering; the windows were mere loopholes 
closed by means of sliding boards, for there was no glass; 
and the fireplaces were made of round stones or clay. In 
1642 a new governor, Johan Printz, was sent out. He was 
an able man and an experienced soldier. ''Physically he 
was a huge man weighing over four hundred pounds; the 
Indians called him the 'big tub.' " He proved himself to be 
one of the best colonial governors of his day. He built a 
fort on Tinicum Island, and also a fine residence for him- 
self. More vessels came from Sweden and there grew up a 
promising colony in New Sweden, as the land was called, 
though probably there were never more than two or three 
hundred Swedish colonists. As time went on the colonists 
were not well supplied from Sweden with goods for barter, 
and the trade with the natives dwindled. 

The Dutch continued to look upon the Swedes as intruders 
and there were not unfrequent quarrels between the two. 
Owing to lack of support from home authorities, Governor 
Printz left the colony and returned to Sweden. But in 1654 
the largest party of emigrants arrived that had yet come tp 
New Sweden. They numbered three hundred and fifty men, 
women, and children. The new governor, Rising, was more 
active than Printz, and New Sweden, for a time, seemed to 
be in a flourishing condition. The Swedes had good crops 
and built a mill on Cobbs' Creek and erected more houses 
and churches. 

Dutch Conquest of New Sweden. — This success of the 
Swedes roused the Dutch, who began to fear that they would 
lose the country along the Delaware. So in 1655 they fitted 
out a small fleet, embarked six hundred men, and started to 
recover New Sweden for the Dutch. The expedition was 
completely successful, for the Swedes had no soldiers to pro- 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS 



9 




Dutch Wagon of Colonial Tlmes 



tect themselves, and the Dutch gained the whole territory 
without bloodshed. The terms of the conquerors were lib- 
eral. The Swedes were allowed to remain on taking oaths 
of allegiance to HoUand and the Dutch West India Company. 
They were not disturbed in their religion. Those that 
wished could return 
to Sweden. Very 
few Dutch settlers 
came, so the coun- 
try, though govern- 
ed by the Dutch, 
continued to be 
Swedish in all other 
respects. 

Most of the Swedes lived on the west side of the Delaware, 
between New Castle and the site of Philadelphia, and con- 
tinued on friendly terms with the Indians. Upland (Ches- 
ter) and New Amstel (Newcastle) were their chief towns 
or villages. 

The English take Manhattan, 1664. — The English had 
not given up their claim to the Atlantic coast of North Amer- 
ica, which they said belonged to them by virtue of the dis- 
covery by the Cabots in 1497. King Charles II granted to 
his brother James, Duke of York, that territory in Amer- 
ica which was then held by the Dutch. In order to assert 
his right of possession, the Duke of York, in 1664, sent 
out a strong force under Colonel Richard Nicholls. Nicholls 
with his fleet appeared before New Amsterdam and caught 
the colony and their governor, Peter Stuyvesant, wholly 
unprepared. As resistance was hopeless, Stuyvesant sub- 
mitted, all New Netherland came under English rule, and 
New Amsterdam became New York. 



lO 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



The English take Dutch Settlements on the Delaware. — 

The conquest included the country south of New York, now 
known as New Jersey, and the settlements on the Delaware, 
or the Enghsh claimed that it did, for they sent an expedi- 
tion from New York to take possession of the Delaware. 




"X ^'rh 



bsX: 






-l'- ;^ 1 1 fe: j-£4ii--dj ff I k fe^^Mi 



hi;p.l>€l» 



Old Swedes' Church, Philadelphia 

When the vessels appeared before New Amstel, the Dutch 
commander of that place refused to surrender, and Sir Rob- 
ert Carr, the English commander, attacked the place. The 
Dutch were defeated, and a time of plunder followed. The 
Dutch soldiers were sold into slavery and the lands of 
the Dutch confiscated. This victory brought the Dutch rule 
on the Delaware to an end. The only important stipulation 
of the victors was that all should take an oath of allegiance 
to the English king. This the Swedes were very willing to 
do, and from this time the Enghsh ruled along the Delaware. 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS 



II 



The chief officers were appointed by the Duke of York, and 
a council of colonists advised with them. Peace and quiet 
followed, but the colony did not grow rapidly. Their settle- 
ments extended as far as the site of Philadelphia and a church 
was built about 1669 at a place known as Wicaco, now in the 
city of Philadelphia. This church was rebuilt in 1700, and 
is still known as the Old Swedes' Church. Though some 
English settlers came/ for a number of years the population 
consisted mostly of Swedes, Dutch, and Finns. 

In 1673 a Dutch fleet appeared before New Y^ork just as 
the English fleet had done nine years before, and, finding the 
city just as unprepared, re-took it, and the Dutch flag once 
more waved over New Amsterdam. But peace between 
the English and Dutch was made the next year (1674) and 
New Netherland was restored to the English. These changes 
apparently did not affect the settlers on the Delaware. 

^ Among these were some English Quakers from West Jersey. See next 
chapter. 




Prow of a Dutch Vessel or rm: ^i.\ i;\tei:mii e entury 
Showing the figurehead of St. Nicholas 



CHAPTER II 
WILLIAM PENN 

The Friends or Quakers. — The seventeenth century in 
England was a time of great unrest in rehgious matters, 
and many sects or denominations arose. Among these 
sects was that of the Friends or Quakers. Their founder, 
George Fox, was born in 1624 of respectable parents in 
moderate circumstances. Like many others at that time, he 
was not satisfied with the religious teaching of the day, and 
after some time began to preach doctrines of his own. This 
was about 1647. 

The chief tenets of belief of the Friends were: that God 
speaks directly to the heart of everyone, and that each one 
must listen to this inward voice and obey it; that true wor- 
ship is a communion of the heart with God, and that outward 
ceremonies and ordinances are not essential; that all men 
are equal, and therefore there should be no clergy and laity; 
and as all were equal, all should be addressed in the same way, 
and treated alike; and that men and women should be on an 
equahty in the church. They also believed that war was 
contrary to the spirit of the Gospel, and hence wrong; and 
that no one should be forced to contribute to a state church. 

It was an age in which much importance was attached to 
rank, to rites and ceremonies, and to a literal interpretation 
of the Bible. To differ from the prevailing religious teachings 
was thought a serious offence, and war was held to be not 
only allowable but praiseworthy. It is easy to see how at 



WILLIAM PENN 



13 



many points the Quakers would come into conflict with 
these views. They would not pay tithes to support the 
estabUshed church; they would not take an oath e^•en of 
allegiance, though ahvays ready to make a declaration of 
fidelity to the government, and to submit to the penalties 
for perjury if they made false statements; they would not 
take off the hat to anyone or use complimentary forms of 
address; they would not attend church services; they insisted 
on meeting together for religious worship in their ow^n way 
and openly in spite of laws to the contrary.^ 

Besides this, they actively spread their teachings in all parts 
of Great Britain and Ireland, and even to some extent on the 
Continent and in America. They gathered many converts, 
and without question presented a somewhat difficult problem 
to the British rulers. - 

As a result of practicing their principles thousands of 
Quakers were condemned to be put into the loathsome jails 
of that period, where they suffered terribly and hundreds of 
them died. Others were heavily fined, banished from Great 
Britain, or sold into slavery in the West Indies. It was an 
easy thing to punish the Quakers, for if everything else 
failed the magistrates could tender them the oath of alle- 
giance, and as the Quakers would always refuse to take an\' 
oath, a sentence to prison would follow as a matter of^ 
course. 

It was natural that the Quakers should desire a way of 

^ The Conventicle Act of 1664 forbade, under severe penalties, the meet- 
ing together for worship of more than five persons except in the case of the 
Church of England. 

'^ It has been estimated that at the death of (ieorge I'\)x, in i()c)i, ihere were 
between 50,000 and 60,000 Friends in England, making them t)ne of the tirst 
four Nonconforming bodies, the others being the Baptists, Presbyterians and 
(Catholics 



14 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

escape from persecution and that their thoughts should be 
turned toward America. As early as 1660 a Friend, Josiah 
Coale, came to America on behalf of the Quakers, to treat 
with the Indians near the Susquehanna River for lands in 
the interior. But nothing was done on account of wars then 
going on among the Indians. 

Nova Caesarea or New Jersey. — The large tract of land 
between the Hudson and Delaware rivers, ceded by Charles 
II to his brother James, Duke of York (1664), was, in return 
for services, given by the Duke to John, Lord Berkeley,^ and 
Sir George Carteret. This province was named New Jersey 
in honor of Carteret, who was governor of the island of 
Jersey ^ of which he was a native. 

In 1674 the province was divided, Carteret receiving East 
Jersey and Berkeley West Jersey.^ 

Berkeley was an old man and unable to manage his prov- 
ince successfully, so he sold it to two Friends or Quakers, 
John Fenwick and Edward Byllynge, for the sum of one thou- 
sand pounds sterling. Byllynge and Fenwick quarreled, and 
being unable to come to a settlement, WiUiam Penn was agreed 
upon as arbitrator. The result was that one-tenth was 
awarded to Fenwick. Byllynge, on account of business 
troubles, assigned his share to three trustees, all Quakers, 
one of whom was WiUiam Penn.'' Fenwick 's share shortly 
after also came under the control of these trustees. 

These circumstances brought Penn into close acquaintance 

^ This Berkeley was a brother of Sir WiUiam Berkeley, governor of 
Virginia. 

2 The name was originally Nova Caesarea, but the English form, was pre- 
ferred from the first. 

^ The dividing line ran from Rancocas Creek to Barnegat Bay. 

^ Fenwick had been a neighbor of William Penn, which doubtless led to the 
choice of Penn as an arbitrator. 



WILLIAM PENN 



15 




with conditions in the New World, and would seem without 
doubt a principal cause of Penn's interest in the settlement 
of Pennsylvania.^ 

William Penn. — William 
Penn was the son of Ad- 
miral Sir William Penn, one 
of OHver Cromwell's naval 
commanders. In company 
with General Richard Ven- 
ables he had captured from 
Spain the island of Jamaica, 
which from that time has 
belonged to Great Britain. 
On the restoration of the 
Stuarts to the British throne 
Sir WilHam Penn became 
devoted to them, and he 
had lent Charles II a large sum of money. 

His son William, born in 1644, was educated in all the ac- 
complishments of the day. He was sent to Christ Church 
College, Oxford, when he was sixteen. While at Oxford he 
fell in with Thomas Loe, a former Oxford student, but now 
one of the despised Quakers. Penn was profoundly influenced 
by this man and refused to wear surplices in the chapel or to 
attend the college chapel. For these offences he was, it is 
said, expelled from the university. Admiral Penn, highly 
displeased with his son, sent him to Paris, expecting that a 
stay in that gay city would drive Quakers and puritanical 
notions out of his head. The young man did, to a consider- 
able extent, adopt fashionable ways, but did not lose his 

^ The report of George Fox, who visited America (1672-1673), undoubtedly 
also influenced Penn. 



William Penn 

At the age of 22. After the portrait 
attributed to Sir Peter Lely 



1 6 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

taste for religious matters. He returned two years later 
to London and began the study of law. His father next sent 
him to Ireland, and we hear of him as helping to put down 
a mutiny, and being so pleased with his military experience 
that he asked his father to allow him to enter the army. 

William Penn becomes a Quaker. — The family estates 
were in the south of Ireland, and the Admiral sc sc n, 

now twenty- two years old, to look after them. Penn l ng 
in Cork, and hearing that his old friend, Thomas Loe, was to 
be present at a meeting of the Quakers, went to see him. 
Loe preached, and Penn was so much impressed by what 
he heard that he became a Quaker and from this time 
never wavered in his allegiance to the Quakers. It was not 
long before Penn was in prison for attending Quaker meet- 
ings. After he was released his father sent for him and soon 
found that his son had indeed become a changed man. 
Nothing could move him. In 1670 a complete reconciha- 
tion with his father took place, the Admiral realizing that 
his son would not change his views. 

The Conventicle Act^ fell heavily upon the Friends, and 
William Penn and a Friend, William Mead, were indicted 
and arrested for speaking in an unlawful assembly. The trial 
which followed is one celebrated in British annals. The jury 
refused to find the prisoners guilty, and though the jurors 
were sent to a loathsome prison and fined, they persisted in 
their verdict, thus vindicating the right of a jury to bring 
in a verdict in accordance with their conscience. The jury 
was soon discharged, but Penn and Mead were kept in 
prison until someone paid their fines. 

William Penn and New Jersey. — ^A few days after Penn's 
release his father died and Penn found himself a wealthy 

^ See footnote, page 13. 



WILLIAM PENN 17 

man. For several years he spent his time in writing Quaker 
books and in preaching.^ He also frequently interceded for 
his Quaker brethren at court, for he kept up the friendship 
of his family for King Charles and the Duke of York. 

As a trustee for Byllynge, Penn became intimately con- 
nected with the affairs of West Jersey and took an active 
.jy)art*fintt':jrawing up a plan of government for that colony 
(1677). The scheme, called ''The Concessions," is- one of 
the most liberal constitutions the world has seen, and there 
is no doubt that it is chiefly Penn's work. The spirit dis- 
played is admirable. ''No person . . . shall be called in 
question or in the least punished or hurt either in person, 
estate, or privilege, for the sake of his opinion, judgment, 
faith, or worship towards God in matters of religion." "We 
lay a foundation for after ages to understand their liberty 
as men and Christians, that they may not be brought into 
bondage, but by their own consent; for we put the power 
in the people." 

^ He traveled twice in Holland and Germany, and became an intimate 
friend of the Princess Elizabeth, a granddaughter of James I of England. 
William Penn was twice married, first in 1672 to Gulielma Maria Springett 
(d. 1693); and in 1696 to Hannah Callowhill, who survived him, and died 
in 1726. 



CHAPTER III 

LAND GRANT AND CHARTER OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Penn's Qualifications for a Colonizer. — William Penn 
was peculiarly fitted to undertake the* establishment of a 
colony. He had been well educated; he had studied law; he 
was possessed of ample means; he had traveled widely; and 
his circle of personal friends embraced individuals of almost 
every rank in the community. More than once he had suf- 
fered fine and imprisonment for conscience sake, and he had 
nobly stood for liberty of speech during one of the notable 
trials in English history. He had also gained practical ex- 
perience in colonial affairs through his connection with the 
Jerseys, whose legislation he had himself largely shaped. Be- 
sides all this he had a deep sense of his responsibility to his 
fellow men, and he was a prominent member of a sect which 
at that time was one of the very few which upheld not merely 
toleration, but freedom for religious faith and practice.^ 

Royal Grant of Pennsylvania. — The claim against the 
British crown, which Admiral Penn had bequeathed to his 
son (p. 15), amounted in 1680, with interest, to about £16,000. 
William Penn petitioned Charles II that he might be given 
a grant of lands in America instead of money. The care- 
less monarch was only too glad to be so easily rid of his debt. 
But Penn could hardly have gained his wish, had he not 
had at the court great influence, which came to him through 

^ Toleration implies a privilege which is granted; freedom is the right to 
perform. 



LAND GRANT AND CHARTER 19 

his father and thr()u«^h his own personal worth and charac- 
teristics. Admiral Penn had commended his son to James, 
Duke of York, brother of the king, and notwithstanding the 
difference in character between the immoral prince and the 
pure-minded Quaker, they were good friends. Influential 
men in the council were also favorable to Penn. He was 
fond of society and must have had pleasing manners, or he 
could not have stood so well at court. Penn himself says, T I 
know of no religion that destroys courtesy, civility, and 
kindness." Thus the royal debt, combined with his personal 
influence at court, gave him an opportunity of which he was 
not slow to avail himself. 

His petition was granted, and after an examination to see 
that the proposed patent did not encroach on lands already 
disposed of ^ and rights already confirmed, a charter was 
granted and the document signed March 4, 1680.- The only 
payment asked in return was "two beaver skins to be deliv- 
ered at our said castle of Windsor on the first day of January 
of every year, and also the fifth part of all the gold and silver 
ore" that might be found in the territory. 

Penn's Motives in establishing Pennsylvania. — It has 
often been said that Penn's chief motive in seeking to estab- 
lish a colony in America was to afford a refuge for persecuted 
Quakers. Unquestionably this must have been a strong 
motive, but it was not the only one. There is no doubt that 
he also saw in America the opportunity to put into practice 
the theories of government which he had long held and 

^ Owing to the ignorance which prevailed in regard to hititude and longi- 
tude, and boundaries in the New World, the results of the examination were 
far from being accurate. 

2 The original charter was lost about 1844; the document preserved at 
Harrisburg, often spoken of as the original, is a tine copy. 



20 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 







Fac-simile of Part of 

THE Deed given to 

Penn 



defended and which were far more ad- 
vanced than those of most of his contem- 
poraries. Penn himself, in a letter written 
to a friend a few months after obtaining the 
charter, said, '' I have so obtained it . . . 
that an example may be set up to the 
nations; there may be room there, though 
not here, for such an holy experiment." 

Penn thought of naming his province 
New Wales, but that was objected to, 
and he then suggested Sylvania. To 
this Penn was added, and the name be- 
came Pennsylvania, "A name the king 
would give it in honor of my father." ^ 

1 Penn writes, "I much opposed and went to the 
King to have it struck out and altered; he said it 
was past and would take it upon him; nor could 
twenty guineas move the under secretary to vary 
the name; for I feared lest it should be looked upon 
as a vanity in mc, and not as a respect in the King, 
as it truly was, to my father, whom he often men- 
tions with praise." 



LAND GRANT AND CHARTEl^ 



21 







Extent of the Province; Delaware. — The 

intent of the charter was to give Penn three 
degrees of latitude by five degrees of longi- 
tude, beginning with the fortieth degree of 
latitude, which was supposed to run through 
New Castle. 1 This was an error, for the 
parallel really runs through the northern part 
of Philadelphia. This mistake was the cause 
of serious trouble between Penn and Lord 
Baltimore and their successors, and led to 
much hard feehng and to charges of fraud on 
both sides. 

1 The words in the charter arc, "The said land to 
extend westward five degrees in longitude, to be com- 
puted from the said eastern bounds [the Delaware River]; 
and the said lands to be bounded on the north by the be- 
ginning of the three and fortieth degree of northern lati- 
tude, and, on the south, by a circle drawn at twelve 
miles distance from New Castle northward and westward, 
unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of northern 
latitude; and then by a straight line westward to the limits of longitude above 
mentioned.'* 



2 2 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Penn, fully aware of the value of easy and unobstructed 
passage to the sea, asked the Duke of York to cede to him 
the territory now known as Delaware.^ This the Duke con- 
sented to do. Thus Penn became the proprietor of a terri- 
tory not much smaller than England, and over which he had 
almost regal power. 

The Charter of Pennsylvania. — The charter of Pennsyl- 
vania was largely the work of Penn himself, though important 
changes must have been made in his draft. It is evidently 
based upon the charter of Maryland which, with the excep- 
tion of that of Rhode Island, was the most liberal of the colo- 
nial charters. One of the provisions, which must have been 
added by the officers of the crown, was that Penn, or the pro- 
prietary, as he is called, should be ^'captain-general" and 
have power to levy, muster, and train all sorts of men and to 
make war as well by sea as by land. Another provision was 
that all laws made in the province should be sent to the privy 
council in England within five years after their passage, but 
unless these laws were rejected by the council, they should 
remain in force; - still another was, that no tax should be 
imposed on the colony '' without consent of the Proprietary, 
or Chief Governor, or Assembly, or by act of Parhament in 
England." ^ 

^ This territory was called the "three lower counties" (Kent, New Castle 
and Sussex). For about twenty years they formed part of Pennsylvania, 
but there was continual trouble between the settlers, and in 1703 the counties 
were set off, and though having the same governor as Pennsylvania, had a 
separate legislature until the American Revolution, when they became ''Dela- 
ware State." 

^ The colonies sometimes evaded this provision by re-enacting a law objec- 
tionable to the council. 

^ The right of Parruimeiit to tax the colony was not exercised until about 
tlie time of the Revolution. 



LAND GRANT AND CHARTER 23 

The king issued a i)roclcimation announcing the transfer 
to Penn and caUing upon all persons in the province to obey 
the proprietor. Having received legal authority over his 
province, Penn issued an address to the few European settlers 
in his new domain, in which he stated his position clearly, 
using these noble words: ''You are now fixed at the mercy 
of no governor that comes to make his fortune great; you 
shall be governed by laws of your own making, and live a 
free, and if you will, a sober and industrious people. I shall 
not usurp the right of any, or oppress his person." 

Markham Deputy Governor, 1681. — Penn drew up a frame 
of government for his province, and sent out his cousin, 
William Markham, to take formal possession and act as his 
deputy.^ Markham reached New York, where the Duke of 
York's representative lived, in the summer of 1681, and hav- 
ing obtained the legal surrender of the province from the 
Duke's agent went on to Upland (Chester). Here he called 
together a council of nine of the settlers, two of whom 
were Swedes. This was the beginning of Penn's actual 
rule. 

One of the first things Markham did was to buy a tract of 
land from the Indians. The bounds began on the Delaware 
River opposite Trenton, where Morrisville now is, and the 
tract comprised the lower part of Bucks County. It was in 
this tract that Penn's manor of Pennsbury was afterwards 
located. The land was paid for by a number of articles 
valued by the Indians,^ who were, as far as appears, entirely 

^ Very little is known of Markham. He was probably the son of a sister 
of Admiral Penn. Even the year of his birth is unknown. He died in Phila- 
delphia in 1704. He was not a Quaker, but an Kj)iscopalian. 

^ The list, an interesting one, is as follows: 350 fathoms of wampum, 20 
white blankets, 20 fathoms of strawed waters, 60 fathoms of duftields. 20 
kettles, 4 whereof large, 20 guns, 20 coats, 40 shirts, 40 pair of stockings, 40 



24 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

satisfied with the sale. Markham had conferences with 
other Indians for the purpose of getting their good will and 
for explaining to them Penn's purpose to treat them justly. 
At Upland he also met Lord Baltimore, the Proprietor of 
Maryland, to discuss the matter of the boundary between 
Pennsylvania and Maryland. Owing to various causes, 
especially the lack of proper instruments for determining 
the latitude, all definite action was deferred. 

Penn published A Brief Account of the Province of Penn- 
sylvania, and distributed the pamphlet widely in Great 
Britain; it was also translated into German and circulated 
in South Germany. In this pamphlet he described the ad- 
vantages of his province as to climate, fertility of soil, 
abundance of forests, and other desirable features. Land 
could be bought at the rate of five thousand acres for one 
hundred pounds sterhng on agreeing to pay yearly to the 
proprietary one shilling rent for each one hundred acres. 

Plans for a City; Philadelphia. — Penn also sent out 
commissioners directing them to lay out a city, and make 
treaties with the Indians. He planned to make Upland (Ches- 
ter) the chief town, but he gave his commissioners authority 
to select another site if they thought best. They were to 
choose a place where large ships could easily unload, and 
where the land was high and healthful. Ten thousand acres 
were to be devoted to the town, and the tract was to be 
divided into good sized plots, ''so there may be ground on 
either side for gardens or orchards, or fields, so that it may 

hoes, 40 axes, 2 barrels of powder, 200 bars of lead, 200 knives, 200 small glasses, 
1 2 pairs of shoes, 40 co[)per boxes, 40 tobacco tongs, 2 small barrels of pipes, 
40 pair of scissors. 40 combs, 24 pounds of red lead, 100 awls, 2 handfuls of fish 
hooks, 2 handfuls of needles, 40 pounds of shot, 10 bundles of beads, 10 small 
saws, 12 drawing-knives, 4 ankers of tobacco, 2 ankers of rum, 2 ankers of cider, 
200 ankers of beer and 300 guilders. 



LAND GRANT AND CHARTER 25 

A brief Account of the 

19;o\)ime of ^ennfplbania. 

Lately Granted by the 

KING. 

Under ihc GREAT 

Seal of England, 



TO 



WILLIAM PENN 

AND HIS 

Heirs and Affigns. 

Since (by the good Providence ol Cod, and the Favour of the King) a 
Country in Ancricd is fallen to my Lot, 1 thought it not irfs my 
Duty, then my Honeft Intercft, to give fomc publick notice of it to 
the World, lYat thorc of our own or other Nations, that arc inclin'd 
toTranfpori Themrelves or Fatnihe; beyond the Seas, may find ano- 
ther Country added to theie Choice ; that if they fhall hapicn to like 
the Place, Conditions, ar.d Government, (fo far as the piefcnt Infancy of things 
will allow us any profpeO^ th-^y rnay, if they plcafe. fix v7ith mc in the Pro- 
vince, hereafter ' defcribcd, 

I. The K IMG'S Title So thit Comiry hefore- hs granted tt. 
It is the Jm dniiimr, or La^ of Nii::ons, that what CTcr Wafte, or uncu3- 
ccd Country, is the Difccvcry of sjt-'j Princ*, it is iii'i^. right of that Prince that 
was at the Charge of the Difcovervi NoW this frovtme is a Member of that 
part of Amtrica, which the King o{ EngtanJi Anceftors have been at the Charge 
of Difcovcring, and which they and he have taken great care to prcferve ani 
improve. 

1 1. William 

Fac-simtle of the first page of "A Brief Account of the 
Province of Pennsylvania" 



26 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

be a green country town which will never be burnt and always 
be wholesome." ^ 

The commissioners did not think that Upland was satis- 
factory, so they chose a site at a place called Coaquanock, 
where there was a high and well-wooded bank, with deep 
water in front, and near where a river, named by the Dutch 
Schuylkill, ran into the Delaware. This, in accordance with 
Penn's direction, was named Philadelphia. ^ 

Thomas Holme, the surveyor, did not find it practicable 
to follow Penn's plans, and instead of laying out ten thou- 
sand acres, laid out only twelve hundred and eighty.^ Com- 
paratively small lots were provided for, and with a few 
exceptions the streets were made rather narrow. 

The plan adopted was for a city a httle more than two miles 
long, from the Delaware River to the Schuylkill River, and 
little more than one mile wide from north to south from Vine 
Street to Cedar Street (or South, as it is now called). Two 
wide streets were laid out, High, now called Market Street, 
running east and west, and Broad Street, running north and 
south. At the crossing of these streets a ten acre lot was 
reserved for a ''statehouse, market-house, school-house, and 
chief meeting-house for the Quakers." In each of the four 
quarters of the city there was an open square of eight 
acres. 

Settlers at once sought homes within the Hmits of the new 
city, and some, while their houses were building, hved in caves 
dug in the banks which rose abruptly from the river. 

^ The provisions were doubtless suggested by the recent ravages, first of the 
plague (1665), and then of the great fire in London, 1666. 

2 Probably after the city in Asia Minor, mentioned in Rev. 1: 11. The 
meaning of the word is "brotherly love." 

3 This was the legal size of the city till 1854, when the boundaries were 
extended. 



LAND GRANT AND CHARTER 



27 



Penn's Frame of Government. — During the months which 
passed before his own journey to America, Penn occupied 
much time and thought in shaping a plan, or, as he called it, 
a ''Frame of Government," for his province. In the compo- 
sition of this document he sought the advice of Algernon 








li^j^^ 




■hrpke/T, ^ fioutoT 







Seal and Signatures to the Frame of Government 

Sidney, the great English republican, and of his friend, Ben- 
jamin Furly of Rotterdam, but there can be no doubt that 
Penn is responsible for the essential features.^ In the preface 
Penn states some general maxims or truths, which, as he always 
believed, lay at the very foundation of good government. 
Among them are these, ''The end of government is first to 
terrify evil doers; secondly, to cherish those that do well." 
"Any government is free to the people under it, whatever 
be the frame, where the laws'rule and the people are a party 
to those laws, and more than this is tyranny, oligarchy, 
or confusion." "Governments rather depend upon men than 
men upon governments. Let men be good and the gox'ern- 

1 This can be seen by c:omi)aring it with the New Jersey "Concessions." 



28 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

ment cannot be bad. If it be ill, they will cure it. But if 
men are bad, let the government be never so good, they will 
endeavor to warp and spoil it to their turn." These prin- 
ciples Penn endeavored to carry out, but he was hindered, 
and sometimes thwarted, even by those from whom he had 
the right to look for better treatment. 

Comparison with other Codes. — ^Only by comparison with 
the codes of law and plans of government of that day can it 
be understood how far William Penn was in advance of the 
law makers of his time. Without hesitation he abolished 
the punishment of death for all crimes except murder and 
treason, and there is no doubt that he would have excepted 
these had it been practicable. When it is remembered that 
there were about two hundred and forty crimes for which, 
at that time, the English law prescribed capital punishment, 
it will be seen what a change this was. He also provided 
that prisons should be workshops where not punishment, 
but reformation of the criminal was to be the chief object.^ 
He knew from personal experience what schools of vice Eng- 
lish jails were, and he determined that such should not exist 
in his province. ''No oath was to be required in legal 
and official matters. Drinking healths, selling rum to the 
Indians, cursing and lying, fighting duels, playing cards, 
the pleasures of the theatre, were all put under the ban 
together." 

Plan of Government. — His plan of government provided 
for a council of seventy-two persons,^ in which the propri- 
etary should have three votes but not a veto. This council 

^ All this was nearly a century before John Howard published his work, 
State of the Prisons. (1777). 

2 These were to serv^e for three years, one-third retiring each year and not 
eligible again till one year had passed. 



LAND GRANT AND CHARTER 29 

should originate all bills. There was also to be an assembh' 
of two hundred members elected annual!}', which was to con- 
sider the bills passed by the council. The laws were to be 
carried out by the governor and council. This plan shows 
how little power Penn reserved to himself and his succes- 
sors.^ Besides this Penn provided for amendments, a provi- 
sion entirely new^ in that day, but which has been inserted 
in perhaps all documents of the kind ever since. 

Penn also prepared a code of laws to be passed upon in 
the province. The qualifications for voters were very liberal; 
every man who was a land-holder or who paid a tax was 
accounted a freeman. It was, however, provided that office 
holders and electors should be ''such as profess faith in Jesus 
Christ"; also that ''All persons living in this province who 
confess and acknowledge the one almighty and eternal God 
to be the creator, upholder, and ruler of the world, and that 
hold themselves obliged in conscience to hve peaceably and 
justly in civil society, shall in no ways be molested or preju- 
diced for their religious persuasion or practice in matters of 
faith and worship nor shall they be compelled at any time to 
frequent or maintain any religious worship, place, or minis- 
try forever." Penn thus estabUshed the government of his 
province on a broad Christian foundation of justice, good 
will, and morality. 

He also forbade various things which he beheved would 
injure the community. He had already given explicit direc- 
tions as to the treatment of the Indians and intercourse with 

1 This {)lan did not work well, for the assembly resented the provision that 
the council should originate all bills. In time the assembly insisted on equal 
powers, and later the council was shorn of its power of legislation. In 1 (>()(> 
the power of veto was given to the proprietor. The size of the houses was 
reduced to thirty-si.x for the assembly, and twelve for the council, which became 
simply an advisory board to the governor. 



30 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

them. All trade with them must be carried on in the open 
market, and any fraud must be punished. Anyone wrong- 
ing an Indian was to be punished as if he had wronged a 
white man, and if any Indian committed a wrong the in- 
jured white man was to complain to the governor or magis- 
trate, who should take up the case and confer with " the king 
of the said Indian." "That all differences between the 
planters and natives shall also be ended by twelve men, that 
is, six planters and six natives; that so we may live friendly 
together as much as in us lieth, preventing all occasion of 
heart-burnings and mischief." Penn did his best to carry 
out the principles thus laid down. 

Boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. — The 
question of the boundary line between Maryland and Penn- 
sylvania, deferred on account of Markham's illness, was taken 
up in the spring of 1682, and in September, having secured a 
good surveying instrument from New York, observations were 
made at New Castle. These, no doubt to Markham's dismay, 
showed that the fortieth parallel of latitude was many miles 
north of New Castle, and that a circle of twelve miles radius, 
drawn from New Castle as a center, would not touch the for- 
tieth parallel. "The fortieth degree was in fact so far north 
that if it should be the boundary Maryland would not only 
take in Upland, but would extend far upward in what claimed 
to be, and now is, Pennsylvania, and Penn's hold upon the 
bay, so much desired, would be lost. Even the site of the city 
at Coaquanock would fall to Lord Baltimore." Markham 
could say little except that the matter must be left until Penn's 
arrival. This was the beginning of the famous controversy 
which lasted nearly one hundred years, and which was not 
finally settled until 1767. 



CHAPTER IV 

WILLIAM PENN IN PENNSYLVANIA 

Penn Visits America; The "Welcome." — At last William 
Penn felt that he could visit his province. The Welcome, 
which was to take him across the sea, was for those days a 
large vessel, being three hundred tons burden. She carried 
one hundred emigrants, all from the well-to-do class, who 
were seeking to establish homes for themselves in the prom- 
ised land of freedom and of plenty. At that time a voyage 
across the Atlantic was a serious matter, and those who 
embarked upon one literally took their Hves in their hands. 
The length of the voyage varied from six to fifteen weeks, 
and the discomforts and sufferings endured under the best 
circumstances were such as would dismay a traveler of 
to-day. WilHam Penn himself made his arrangements as if 
he were never to return, and in addition to his business direc- 
tions, left an affectionate letter of wise counsel to his wife and 
children. 

The Welcome sailed from Deal on the first of September, 
1682. One of the passengers had come on board ill of small- 
pox, and before the ship reached her destination, nearly every 
man, woman, and child took the dread disease and thirty died. 
Penn was unremitting in his care of the suffering. He gave 
without stint of his stores, sat by the sick, gave medicine 
to those needing it, and spoke words of comfort and conso- 
lation to all. 



32 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Penn reaches Pennsylvania, 1682. — On October 27, 
1682, just nine weeks after leaving Deal, the Welcome an- 
chored off New Castle. Young and old crowded to the land- 
ing place to see the great man, their governor. The next 
day, in the old Dutch fort, Penn took formal possession, 
after an ancient fashion: the Duke of York's two represen- 
tatives gave him the key of the fort ''to lock upon himself 
alone the door, which being opened by him again we did de- 
liver also unto him one turf with a twig upon it, a porringer 
with river water, and soil." 

The next day Penn reached Upland, and so on Sunday, 
the 29th of October, 1682, he first set foot upon the soil of 
Pennsylvania. The name of Upland was changed to 
Chester, and the place has since been known by that 
name.^ 

Penn reached Philadelphia on one of the last two or 
three days in October or early in November. Tradition says 
that he came up the river in an open boat and landed at the 
pubHc landing place on Dock Creek, near the Blue Anchor 
Tavern, the first house built in Philadelphia. ^ 

Penn's Personal Appearance. — William Penn was just 
thirty-eight years old, his birthday, October 14th, having 
been spent on the Welcome. He was in the early prime of 
his life, with a reputation already well established, the propri- 
etor of a princely domain, and a man full of enthusiasm for 
the trial of the "Holy Experiment" which he had set before 
himself. He was "tall in stature and of an athletic make, 

^ The common statement that the name was changed at the instance of 
Robert Pearson, said to be one of Penn's fellow voj^agers on the Welcome, who 
came from old Chester in England, is discredited by recent students. Indeed, 
it is very doubtful if any one named Pearson was on the Welcome. 

2 Dock Creek was completely covered in 1784 and the roadway over it has 
since been known as Dock Street. 



WILLIAM PENN IN PENNSYLVANIA 



33 



handsomely, though plainly dressed,' courteous in bearing, 
ready in speech, with a manner signifying energy, courage, 
and confidence of leadership, yet 
controlled and governed by mo- 
tives of kindly good-will/' 

Philadelphia in 1682. — There 
was little appearance of a town 
when Penn landed. Though some 
streets were laid out there were 
very few houses and most of these 
were on the waterside. There were 
doubtless some houses near where 
the ''Old Swedes' Church" stands; 
and at Shackamaxon (Kensington) 
also, but the site of the city as a 
whole was mostly covered with 
woods. Probably the strangest 
sight which met the eyes of Penn 
were the caves in the Delaware 
river bank, in which numbers of im- 
migrants were living while their log- 
cabin homes were being built. One 

of these caves was the birthplace 

1 M 1 1 William Penn Statue 

of John Key, the first child born 
c, -n,! -1 1 1 1 • 1-1 . o Philadelphia City Hall Tower 

alter Philadelphia was laid out.- 

As a result of Penn's connection with the Quakers and the 
wide circulation of the pamphlets describing the new colony. 




^ William Penn's dress was that usually worn by gentlemen of the time, 
but without the lace and trimmings which were common; and he wore no 
sword. What is called the Quaker "plain dress" was unknown in Penn's 
day. 

- William Penn, in recognition of this fact, ga\e the child a lot on Sassafras 
(Race) St. between 4th and 5th Sts. Key lived to be eighty-two. 



34 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

about two thousand immigrants ^ landed in Pennsylvania 
during 1682. They made desirable citizens; most of them 
were comfortably off, and brought with them tools, house- 
hold goods, building materials, and stores of various kinds. 
They had little to fear from the Indians, and food was 
abundant. 

Lands ; Laws ; Boundaries. — Penn found many things to 
do, for all sorts of questions had to be settled. Those regard- 
ing land claims were exceedingly difficult. He visited New 
York, in order, as he says, "That I might pay my duty to 
the Duke in the visit of his government and Colony." He 
had already called a general assembly of the colonists of Penn- 
sylvania and Delaware to meet at Chester in December (1682). 
This was the first popular legislative body held on the Del- 
aware, and was what would be called now a constitutional 
convention. This assembly ratified, with little change, 
the body of laws Penn had drawn up in England. Among 
other matters the "three lower counties" (Delaware) were 
formally annexed to Pennsylvania, and all foreigners were 
made citizens. The three counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, 
and Chester had already been laid out.^ 

The next matter which claimed Penn's attention was the 
boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, and on ac- 
count of this, as well as to show courtesy, he visited Lord 
Baltimore at West River, Maryland. Though the two pro- 
prietors were very courteous to each other, nothing was accom- 
plished. Penn showed a letter from the king directing Bal- 
timore to accept two degrees of latitude of sixty miles each, 

^ Three thousand has been given as the number, but careful students Ijeheve 
that two thousand is nearer the fact. 

2 Philadelphia County at that time embraced what is now Montgomery- 
County, and Chester County the present Chester and Delaware Counties. 



WILLIAM PENN IN PENNSYLVANIA 



35 



measured north from Watkins Point.' Baltimore, however, 
replied that no letter could make void his patent, and by this 
he would stand. 

Penn and the Indians: Treaties. - Meanwhile William 
Penn had not neglected the Indians, though records speak of 




Pennsylvania, West New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland 
IN 1689 

no formal treaties with them until 1683. The common story 
tells of a great treaty at Shackamaxon in 1682. There is little 
doubt that a truthful picture of the method in which treaties 
WTre made wdth the Indians is given by this tradition, 
which tells us that Penn and his friends met the Indians under 



Watkins Point the southernmost point of Maryland. 



36 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



the widely spreading branches of an ancient elm ^ at Shack- 
amaxon (Kensington). Penn had neither sword, nor scep- 
ter, nor crown, but was distinguished by the sign of his office, 
a skyblue sash tied round his waist. Bjefore him were car- 
ried various articles to be given to the Indians, and in his 
hand was a roll of parchment on which was written the treaty 
to be ratified. Penn spoke of the kindly feeHngs that he enter- 
tained toward the Indians, and his desire to do them justice; 




Belt of Wampum given to Penn 

and he explained the provisions of his code of laws regard- 
ing intercourse between the whites and themselves. The 
chief sachem, in his turn, took Penn by the hand, pledging 
kindness and saying that the Indians and EngHsh must live 
in love as long as the sun gave light, and a belt of wampum 
with figures of two men clasping hands was given to Penn. 
Such is an outline of the story which gave rise to the oft- 
quoted remark of Voltaire that ''it was the only treaty be- 
tween those natives and the Christians which was never sworn 
to and never broken." The story has also been preserved in 
Benjamin West's picture of ''Penn's Treaty with the Indians," ^ 

^ The elm was blown down in 1810 and was found by the rings of growth 
to be 283 years old. A simple monument marks the site. 

2 West's representation is by no means accurate. He pictures Penn as a 
portly, middle-aged man, whereas, as has been seen, he was only thirty-eight, 
and athletic; and West makes his dress that of the style of seventy years later. 
The statue on the top of City Hall, T*hihideli)hia, represents Penn as he is sup- 
posed to have looked at the time of the treaty. The belt of wampum is in the 
library of the Historical Society of PennsyKania at Philadelphia. 




WILLIAM PENN 
From a cast of the miniature ivory bust by Silvanus Bevan 



WILLIAM PENN IN PENNSYLVANIA 37 

a familiar illustration. Whether the story be true or not 
regarding a special treaty, it represents faithfully the spirit 
in which Penn carried on all his intercourse with llic natives. 
During his life no Quaker blood was shed by an Indian, and 
Penn's memory was long cherished among the natives as 
that of a benefactor. 

Purchases of Lands from the Indians. — In the summer of 
1683 many tracts of land were bought from the Indians which 
together included most of the three counties of Philadelphia, 
Bucks, and Chester. The limits of these purchases were 
indefinite; such as ''to run two days' journey with an horse 
up into the country as said river doth go." Land was so 
plenty that a few acres, or even considerable tracts, more or 
less, made little difference. There was room in this method 
for a great amount of fraud, as was afterwards abundantly 
shown, but in these early days with Penn's just and hberal 
treatment there was no reason for trouble. All these pur- 
chases were paid for in the usual manner at that time, 
with guns, axes, hoes, knives, needles, blankets, kettles, scis- 
sors, gimlets, fish hooks, powder, lead, and other articles 
valued by the Indians. These things seem trifling to us, but 
to the Indian they were most desirable, and there is every 
reason to suppose in Pennsylvania at least, that the Indian 
was satisfied that he was receiving a full equivalent for the 
land he sold.^ 

In many cases in colonial history the Indians had been 
grossly cheated and had been made drunk at the times of 

^ As a matter of fact an Indian title was worth nothing in the eye of the 
hiw. The Indian was, according to the European law, simply an occu[)ier, the 
crown owned the lands, and the power to give titles was vested in the crown 
or in those delegated by the crown. To buy from the Indian was the recogni- 
tion of a moral right, and its only value was a possible protection against 
other Indians. 



38 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



negotiations, but so sure were the Indians of Penn's honesty 
and justice that one chief, the Tammany of tradition, sold 
a tract of land for "so much wampum, so many guns . . . 
and other goods as the said William Penn shall please to give 



«.-^;^f^ 




Letitia Cottage, Penn's City RESroENCE 
Parts of it were prepared in England and shipped to Philadelphia 

unto me." Penn was so much impressed with the injurious 
effects of rum upon the natives that it was not used as an 
article of trade with them after his arrival, and a law pro- 
hibiting the sale of rum to the Indians was passed.^ 

The fair and friendly treatment of the Indians was ap- 
preciated by them, and for seventy- three years the borders 
of Pennsylvania were free from attacks of Indians. More 
than that, a profitable trade was carried on with them. 

The Letitia House; Education. Some time in 1683 Wil- 
liam Penn took up his residence in the modest brick house 

> Owing mainly to the greed of the traders the law was diiricult to enforce. 



WILLIAM PENN IN PENNSYLVANIA 



39 



which he had built for himself on the square between Front 
and Second, Market and Chestnut streets. He afterwards 
gave it to his daughter Letitia, and it has since been known 
as the "Letitia House." It is said to have been the first house 
in Philadelphia which had a cellar. This house, in excellent 
preservation, now stands in Fairmount Park, having been 
removed there in 1883. 

One of the earliest matters which claimed attention was 
that of education. Under date of December 26, 1683, a min- 
ute of the Council reads, ''The Governor and Provincial Coun- 
cil having taken into their serious consideration the great 
necessity there is of a School Master for the instruction and 
sober education of youth in the town of Philadelphia, sent 
for Enoch Flower an inhabitant of the said town who 
for twenty years past hath been exercised in that care and 
employment in England." Enoch Flower was forthwith 
engaged, and the school was started.^ 

The Early Immigrants. — Penn wrote in the summer of 
1683 that "fifty sail of ships and small vessels" had arrived 
within the year. The immigrants were chiefly English 
Quakers, though there were some Welsh and Irish among 
them. But during the succeeding years large numbers 
came not only from Great Britain and Ireland, but also Ger- 
mans from the Palatinate (South Germany) , who had become 
acquainted with Penn's colony through the German pamphlets 
circulated by Benjamin Furly or who had made the acquaint- 
ance of Penn when he traveled in Germany, in 1677. Some 
French Huguenots also came. 

1 His terms were, "To learn to read English 4 shillings by the quarter, to 
learn to read and write 6 shillings by the (juarter, to read, write, and cast ac- 
counts 8 shillings by the quarter; for boarding a scholar, that is to sa>', diet, 
washing, lodging and schooling, ten pounds for one whole year." 



40 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



The chief stimulus for this emigration was reHgious perse- 
cution. In Wales the Friends suffered imprisonment and 
fines for not conforming to the established church; in France 
the government of Louis XIV was hostile to Protestantism; 
in Southern Germany, the ravages of the Thirty Years' War 
had been continued during the wars of Louis XIV. In 
addition, many of the non-resisting Mennonites, whose teach- 
ing in regard to peace, as well as on other points, resembled 
that of the Quakers, had suffered severe persecution. No 
wonder that the promise of political and religious freedom in a 
land of plenty attracted these sufferers. 

The Welsh. — The Welsh colonists were foY the most part 
Quakers and wished, so far as possible, to carry their language, 
their customs, and their institutions to their new home, to 
settle as a community by themselves. They secured from 
Penn a large tract of land on the west side of the Schuylkill 
River, which came to be known as the "Welsh Tract" or 
''Barony." The names of the towns, 
townships and villages — Merion,Hav- 
erford, Radnor, Uwchlan, Gwynedd, 
and others — still preserve the memory 
of this settlement. These Welshmen 
resented the coming of other settlers, 
but finally accepted the situation wil- 
lingly, and gave up the attempt to 
continue a separate community. 

Many of the prominent men of the 
early days were Welshmen, such as 
Thomas Lloyd, David Lloyd, Owen Jones, Thomas Wynne, 
and others. The best known and most influential was 
Thomas Lloyd, the younger son of a good family and a 
graduate of Oxford. He with his wife and nine children 




Seal of David Lloyd 



WILLIAM PENN IN PENNSYLVANIA 



41 



came to Pennsylvania. His ability and his education were 
soon recognized and for eleven years he was one of the most 
active and prominent men in the colony, being president of 
the council and acting governor for various periods. "He 
died in 1699 having been for nearly eight years out of the 
eleven the highest officer of the province." 

The Germans ; Pastorius. — The first Germans who came 
were Friends, but afterwards Mennonites and others came. A 









.i-rJu M*3 



:^i2^J^' 



Caleb Pusey House, near Chester 
The oldest building in Pennsylvania, having been erected in 1683 

small band of Germans was in the vessel with Thomas Lloyd 
in 1683. Their leader, Francis Daniel Pastorius, was like 
Lloyd, a highly educated man.^ The two became intimate 
friends on the voyage, and, Pastorius tells us, conversed with 
each other in Latin. ^ Pastorius became very influential in the 
colony, and for thirty-six years was a prominent citizen. 

^ He had studied two years at the University of Strassburg, and had also 
studied law at Basle and at Jena. He is the "Pennsylvania Pilgrim" of 
Whittier's poem. 

2 Pastorius, though he knew luiglish, could not then speak it llucnlly. He 
says : 

"Alone with him I could in Latin then commune 
Which tongue he did pronounce right, in our CJerman way." 



42 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

P'or the first few months after his arrival Pastorius lived 
in one of the caves in Philadelphia, which he thus describes, 
" The caves of that time were only holes digged in the ground 
covered with earth a matter of five or six feet deep, ten or 
twelve wide, and about twenty long, whereof neither the sides 
nor the floors have been planked." He was actively em- 
ployed in superintending the laying out of the village known 
as Germantown,^ since 1854 a part of Philadelphia. 

These Germans were mostly weavers, and they at once 
began to raise flax and weave linen. Later (1690) a German 
immigrant, William Rittinghuysen (Rittenhouse) , built the 
first paper mill in America on a creek near the Wissahickon. 
The German colony grew steadily, and in 1689 Penn granted 
a charter incorporating the town by the name of ''the Bailiff, 
Burgesses, and Commonalty of German Towne." In this 
document Pastorius was designated as baihff. 

The Germans were fully as great lovers of liberty as the 
Enghsh and Welsh Quakers, and Pastorius was doubtless 
the originator of the first petition against slavery in America. 
Signed by Pastorius and other German Friends it was pre- 
sented to the Quaker Meetings in 1688, but not acted upon. 

Penn Returns to England, 1684. — Everything was pros- 
perous. In February, 1684, Penn wrote: ''Our capital town 
is advanced to about one hundred and fifty very tolerable 
houses for wooden ones; they are chiefly on both the navi- 
gable rivers and bound the ends or sides of the town. The 
farmers have got their winter corn (wheat) in the ground. I 
suppose we may be five hundred farmers strong. . . . Ger- 
mans, Dutch and French are concerned in our prosperity 
with their own." Had it not been for the boundary question, 

1 This was pari of a large tract which Pastorius had bought as agent of 
the Frankfort Land Company. 



WILLIAM PENN IN PENNSYLVANIA 



43 



Penn would doubtless have remained longer in his province. 
But Lord Baltimore had no idea of giving up his claims, and 
had not only invaded what Penn held was part of Pennsyl- 
vania, but had himself gone to England to press his claims 
on the government. There was nothing left for Penn but to 




A Seventeenth Century Ship 

return to England to protect his own rights. He sailed in 
the Endeavor on the 12th of August, 1684, leaving the affairs 
of his colony in the hands of Thomas Lloyd. As Lloyd was 
the president of the council and the holder of the great seal, 
he became the most influential man in the province, for laws 
were of no effect unless sealed with the great seal. 



CHAPTER V 

PENNSYLVANIA UNDER DEPUTY GOVERNORS 
PENN IN ENGLAND 

Penn under Public Suspicion. — The Endeavor reached 
England safely and Penn tells us, ^'l arrived from America 
on the 6th of October, at Wonder in Sussex, being within 
seven miles of my own house." He was soon in the midst 
of his family whom he had not seen for two years. Penn 
expected to return to Pennsylvania after a short stay in 
England, but it was fifteen years before he was able to ful- 
fill his desire. A few months after Penn reached England 
Charles II died, and his brother, James, Duke of York, suc- 
ceeded to the throne. 

The boundary dispute with Lord Baltimore so far as 
it related to the three Lower Counties (Delaware) was soon 
settled by the English authorities. The disputed territory 
was divided by a north and south line half way between 
the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. 

James II openly professed Cathohcism and by his ill- 
advised course of conduct brought about the English Revo- 
lution of 1688, by which the English crown was given to 
Wilham and Mary. Naturally all the former friends of King 
James came under suspicion. Among these was William 
Penn. One of the chief causes of his remaining in England 
was that he might intercede for his Quaker brethren at court, 
where he had great influence. Now that James II was in 
exile, Penn suffered for his personal friendship with him. 




ROBERTS' MILL, GERMAXTOWN, PA. 
Built in 1691 



UNDER DEPUTY GOVERNORS 45 

He was accused of being a Jacobite/ a Jesuit, and a Cath- 
olic in disguise. He was brought before the lords of the 
council in 1688, but he disclaimed any disloyalty. He was 
required to give bail, but when his case came up for trial 
no charges were made and he was cleared in open court. He 
was arrested again in 1690 on account of a letter the exiled 
king had sent him. This time he was brought before King 
WiUiam himself. Penn did not deny his friendship for James, 
but said that he must ''observe due duty to the state which 
belonged to all the subjects of it." The king would have 
discharged him, but some of the council objecting, he was 
released on bail, and when the case came up he was again 
cleared. 

But his troubles were not over. King William being in 
Ireland, Queen Mary, as a precaution, ordered the arrest of 
eighteen persons supposed to be opposed to the govern- 
ment. Among these was Penn. When the trial came up 
there was no evidence against him and he was discharged. 

Penn in Retirement. — Penn now issued proposals for a 
second settlement in Pennsylvania and was almost ready to 
return to his province when on account of a fresh accusa- 
tion brought against him, by one afterwards acknowledged 
to be "a cheat and a notorious impostor," a warrant was 
issued for his arrest. Penn was in a dilemma. If he left 
England under suspicion, it would be held by many to be a 
confession of guilt, while if he allowed himself to be taken, 
though an innocent man, he might be condemned by the 
false oath of his accuser. It seemed best to remain in Eng- 
land and live in seclusion. That the government did not put 
much faith in the charges is shown by the fact that no effort 
was made to find him. Penn spent much of his leisure in 

1 The name given to the supporters of James. 



46 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

writing. Two of the most interesting works written at this 
time are his Essay towards the Present and Future Peace of 
Europe, in which he suggests a plan something Hke the Hague 
Court of Arbitration of to-day; and his Fruits of Solitude, a 
book of beautiful thoughts and reflections, which has been 
issued in many editions and is still widely read. 

Political Affairs in Pennsylvania ; Governor Blackwell. — 
Meantime affairs in Pennsylvania had not been going on 
smoothly. The assembly, or popular branch of the legislature, 
resented its inability to originate laws, and made use of its 
right of approval or disapproval to cause much trouble. 
It even threatened to refuse assent to all laws unless its 
power was increased. It also would not provide for the 
expenses of government, thus throwing heavy expenses upon 
Penn. In 1685 it impeached Judge Nicholas More, its former 
speaker, but no serious offenses could be shown. The caves 
in the Delaware River bank left by the original occupants 
when their houses were ready, had been taken by some 
dissolute persons who had come into the colony, and these 
caused much scandal by their riotous hving and drunkenness. 
Penn heard of this and directed that the occupiers should be 
required to get other dwelHng places. This was done and 
the caves destroyed. 

These and other troubles, often petty, but greatly magni- 
fied when the reports reached England, wxre the source of 
much concern to Penn, and also of injury to the colony, for 
they tended to create an impression that conditions were 
much worse than they really were and that Venn's colony 
was likely to prove a failure. Penn, therefore, made changes 
in the i)lan of government. He vested the executive power 
in a committee of live instead of the whole council. Then, 
believing that Thomas Lloyd was too easy, he appointed 



UNDER DEPUTY GOVERNORS 



47 



Captain John Blackwell, an old Parliamentary soldier, as 
deputy governor. It was a singular choice for Penn to 
make, and the appointment illustrates a weak side of his 
character, — his inabihty to judge men. This weakness 








'^^^mi. 




The First Town Hall and Court House, Philadelphl\ 



of character brought upon Penn not only great pecuniary 
loss, anxiety, and suffering, but also seriously injured his 
reputation. 

Blackwell came out in 1688. His want of tact, and igno- 
rance of Quaker ways, were such as to cause continual irri- 
tation. These troubles were aggravated by the fact that 
Thomas Lloyd held the great seal, and refused either to affix 
the seal to documents, or, w^hen absent, to give it to the gov- 
ernor to hold. The Quakers naturally took Lloyd's part, 
while the inhabitants of the "lower counties" sided with 
Blackwell. After about a year Penn removed Blackwell. 



48 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Penn Modifies the Plan of Government. — Penn showed 
his genuine wish for peace and good will by giving the col- 
onists the choice of making the council act as the deputy 
governor, with ability to choose its president; or, of allow- 
ing the council to nominate three or five persons from whom 
he would appoint one as deputy governor. As the council 
by this time was chosen by the people, this was really demo- 
cratic government. The former plan was adopted and 
Thomas Lloyd was chosen president. 

Trial of Peace Principles. — The first trial of the Quakers' 
peace principles came during Blackwell's administration. In 
November, 1689, he presented to the council a letter from 
the British Government giving notice that his Majesty (Wil- 
liam III) had ordered "all necessary preparation for a speedy 
war with the French king," so that due preparation ought to 
be taken in Pennsylvania. At once a great quarrel arose; 
the Quaker members declared they would have nothing to 
do with warlike measures. Nothing was done, and fortu- 
nately the danger from the French passed away with the 
signing of the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697. 

Unrest in "Lower Counties." — Though the inhabitants of 
the three "Lower Counties" had gladly come under Penn's 
rule, they had little sympathy with Quaker principles, and 
soon found that the Pennsylvanians would be in a majority, 
and so control affairs. There was so much trouble that 
Penn in 1691 made Thomas Lloyd his deputy for Pennsyl- 
vania and Wilham Markham his deputy for the "Lower 
Counties." As Markham was not a Friend he was much 
more acceptable to the people of these counties. 

Education ; The Keith Troubles. — Education was not 
neglected. Need was found for a better school than that 
of Enoch Flower, and in 1689 a "school" was established 



UNDER DEPUTY GOVERNORS 



49 



with George Keith for master. This school was chartered by 
William Perm in 1701, 1708, and in 171 1, and still exists as 
"The William Penn Charter School." 

The troubles of the colony had been chiefly political, but 
now came those of another kind. George Keith/ the head- 




Interior of William Penn Meeting House near Narbeth 

master of the school, began to attack the doctrines and 
practices of the Friends. He had a considerable following, 
including some prominent Friends. The large majority of 
the Friends, including Thomas Lloyd, answered his charges, 

^ Keith was a well educated Scotsman; he joined the Friends, had 
defended them ably, and had suffered his share of imprisonment for his belief. 
He had been a companion of George Fox and William Penn in the tour of 
Germany in 1677; and .had come to New Jersey in 1684; had been Surveyor 
General of East Jersey and had run the line between East and West Jersey. 
He came to Philadelphia in 1689. 



50 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

recited some of his own disorderly conduct, and disowned 
him from membership. The case was taken to the Friends' 
Yearly Meeting in Burlington, New Jersey, which confirmed 
this action. Keith, in 1693, carried his case to the Yearly 
Meeting in London, where the action taken in America was 
confirmed in 1694.^ ' 

The Keith and Bradford Libel Case. — The incident is of 
public interest because the great principle of freedom of the 
press became involved. In the course of the controversy, 
Keith wrote pamphlets in which the Quakers, some of whom 
were magistrates, were vigorously attacked. These tracts 
were printed by William Bradford. Both he and Keith were 
indicted for writing' and printing malicious and seditious 
pamphlets. At the trial, for the first time, it was left to the 
jury to decide the whole cjuestion p.t issue. This was an 
important step towards establishing the freedom of the 
press. The jury disagreed and the trial failed. Keith soon 
after went to London to carry his appeal as above, and 
William Bradford went to New York, and for six years no 
printing was done in Pennsylvania. ^ 

The Province Taken from Penn, 1692. — Meantime Penn's 
enemies in England were active. They made the charge that 
the conditions of affairs in Pennsylvania, and the refusal 
to contribute funds for military defence, indicated not only 

^ After Keith's repudiation in London, some of his followers rejoined the 
Friends, others joined other denominations. Keith himself became an 
Episcopalian (1700), was ordained a minister, and coming back to America 
tried unsuccessfully to win his former Quaker associates. He died in Eng- 
land in 1 7 16. 

2 William Bradford came from London in 1685, bringing his press and type 
with him, and bearing a letter of introduction from George Fox. He was 
expected to do his work under those in authority, for all printing had to be 
licensed in those days. He was an excellent printer, and his work is highly 
valued by collectors. 



UNDER DEPUTY GOVERNORS 



51 



anarchy but also a state of affairs which would make Penn- 
sylvania an easy conquest for the French of Canada. It 
should be remembered that England was in continual fear 
of hostilities with France. Early in March, 1692, an Order 
in Council deprived Penn of the province, with the intention 
of joining it to New York. So far as King William was con- 
cerned the question seems to have been decided on military 
grounds alone. Colonel Fletcher, the. governor of New York, 
was appointed governor of New 
York, Pennsylvania, and Dela- 
ware, the two Jerseys and Con- 
necticut. Fletcher was simply a 
soldier, abrupt and coarse, but 
with more tact than Blackwell. 

Penn's Difficulties. — Penn's 
fortunes were at a low ebb. He 
w^as in seclusion, he was slandered 
and maligned, he was in financial 
straits, for he had expended large 
sums on his province, the ungrate- 
ful colonists would not pay his legal quit-rents, and his Irish 
estates were held by the government. He had been com- 
pelled to raise funds by selKng timber from his Worminghurst 
estate in England. Still his courage did not fail. He wrote 
to Fletcher, warning him to be careful as the charter of Penn- 
sylvania had not been attacked or recalled, and that he would 
maintain his rights. He also wrote to his colonists advising 
them to insist quietly but firmly on their charters, and to 
obey all legal requirements. 

Pennsylvania under Fletcher. — Fletcher came to Philadel- 
phia from New York in 1693 ^^^ soon made it clear that he 
cared Uttle for the laws and charter of Pennsylvania. He 




Early Seal of Bucks 
County 



52 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

disregarded the separation of the province and ''Lower Coun- 
ties," changed the number of legislators, deprived the council 
of the privilege of originating laws, and made many other alter- 
ations. His first requirement from the Assembly was a con- 
tribution to help New York against the French of Canada. 
To Fletcher's demands the assembly repHed with a request 
that the old laws should be restored to them. Fletcher 
replied that " His Majesty's government and that of Mr. 
Penn are in direct opposition the one to the other," and 
begged them to comply, with his request. Again the Assem- 
bly asked for the confirmation of their old laws, which was 
at first declined. After some time Fletcher yielded and con- 
firmed the laws, the Assembly passed a number of bills, and 
Fletcher returned to New York. He met the Assembly 
again in the spring of 1694, but without result. This was 
his last personal appearance in Philadelphia. The Assembly 
had held its own in all essential points and had gained some 
privileges, especially that of originating bills. 

Pennsylvania Restored to Penn, 1694. — Meanwhile Penn's 
affairs had improved. Through the intercession of some of 
his friends at court Pennsylvania was restored to him by a 
patent signed by William and Mary, August, 1694. He had 
agreed '' to transmit to the council and assembly there [Penn- 
sylvania] all such orders as shall be given by her Majesty in 
that behalf [the safety and security of the province] ; and he 
doubts not but that they will at all times dutifully comply with 
and yield obedience thereunto and to all such orders and 
directions as their Majesties shall from time to time think fit 
to send for the supplying such quota of men or the defraying 
their part of such charges as their Majesties shall think nec- 
essary for the safety and preservation of her Majesty's domin- 
ions in that part of America." This looks as if Penn were 



UNDER DEPUTY GOVERNORS 53 

deserting his Quaker peace principles, but probably he was 
satisfied that he could recover his province only by some such 
declaration of loyalty to the British government. Both he 
and the government knew that the final responsibility lay 
with the colonists. Penn, moreover, was always a believer 
in maintaining good order in the state. 

Markham Governor; New Frame of Government, 1696. 
— Penn now^ appointed Wilham Markham deputy governor, 
as Thomas Lloyd had died (1694). Markham, like his pred- 
ecessors, found the Assembly very intractable and soon dis- 
solved it. It met again in 1696, and demanded a new set of 
laws or a constitution. To this demand Markham agreed, 
the Assembly granted supphes, and a new Frame of Govern- 
ment was drawn up. 

This document was more democratic and liberal than the 
old. The council w^as composed of two members elected every 
two years from each of the six counties, which, by this time, 
had been estabhshed. The Assembly consisted of four rep- 
resentatives from each county elected annually.^ If results 
decide a question, Markham 's course was wise, for the prov- 
ince prospered. Something, however, must be attributed to 
Markham's personal influence, for he had been in the colony 
from the first, and thoroughl}' knew the people and existing 
conditions. 

Criminals and Pirates. — The peaceable character of the 
province, the absence of an armed force, and the compara- 
tively light penalties inflicted for crime, led not only good 
and quiet persons to seek the colony, but also many of the 
criminal class. Privateers, common in those days, also found 
in Delaware Bay a place of refuge where it was not likely that 

^ Penn never formally sanctioned ihis constitution, though he did not 
oppose it. 



54 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



they would be molested by the authorities. On one occasion 
they attacked and plundered the little town of Lewes, and 
they also robbed the inhabitants along the Bay and River. 
Some of the colonists, and Markham in particular, were 
charged with being paid by the pirates for conniving at 
these acts. The latter indignantly repudiated the charge, 
for which, so far as appears, no proof was brought forward. 
Penn had to appear before the Board of Trade in England 
to answer these charges. While Penn did not believe in 
Markham's guilt, he was ordered to dismiss him. This he 
did by returning to Pennsylvania (1699) and taking the 
government upon himself. 




Old Quaker Meeting House 

Erected in 1695, at the corner of Second and Market 
Streets, Philadelphia. The building at the right, in 
the middle of the street, is the court house. 



CHAPTER VI 

PENN'S SECOND VISIT TO PENNSYLVANIA 

Penn Leaves England, 1699; James Logan. - On the 

gth of September, 1699, Penn set sail in the ship Can- 
terbury from Cowes in the Isle of Wight, accompanied by his 
wife ^ and his daughter Letitia. Among his fellow travelers 
was James Logan, a young man of twenty-five, whom he had 
appointed as his secretary. Logan was the son of Scotch 
parents who had moved to Lurgan, Ireland, where their son 
was born. For fifty years Logan was prominent in all the 
affairs of the colony, for he was "secretary, then agent of the 
Penn family, commissioner of property, chief justice, two 
years acting governor, and, most of the time a member of the 
governor's council." His father had been a schoohnaster 
and James Logan had been well educated. ^ He collected one 
of the largest and best libraries of colonial days, which, 
nearly intact, now forms part of the Philadelphia Library. 

Penn Reaches Philadelphia, 1699. — The voyage was long 
and it was not until December 3, that the ship reached Phil- 
adelphia. Penn found the city just recovering from a visita- 
tion of the yellow fever, which had carried off man}' of the 

^ Penn had married in the spring of i6q6, Hannah Callowhill, the (hi ligh- 
ter of a rich Quaker merchant of Bristol, Enghind. She was an excellent 
helpmeet. Her name is preserved in Callowhill Street, Philadelphia. 

^ Logan in one place speaks of his having attained a knowledge of Latin, 
Greek, and Hebrew before he was thirteen years of age, and also that in his 
sixteenth year, having met with a book of Laybourn's on mathematics he made 
himself master of that science without any instruction. 



56 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

inhabitants and had cast a gloom over the community. Penn 
and his family lodged for about a month with Edward Ship- 
pen, who had been speaker of the Assembly and was later 
the first mayor of Philadelphia.^ 

From Shippen's house he went to the "slate roof house," ^ 
also on Second Street. Here he remained some time and here 
his son John was born.^ 

Pennsbury. — Penn expected to remain permanently in his 
province, and so one of the first things that he did was to 
prepare to reside in his handsome residence at his manor of 
Pennsbury on the Delaware River four miles above Bristol. 
The manor consisted of about six thousand acres, mostly 
covered with trees. The manor house had been erected in 
1 68 2-1 683, and had cost the large sum of £5000. It was 
about sixty feet long, two stories in height, was built of 
brick, and had a tile roof, on which there was a reservoir for 
water. There was a large hall which Penn used for audiences 
with the Indians and for state entertainments.^ 

The furniture was rich and handsome. The house which 
faced the river was surrounded by gardens and flower beds 
and by lawns planted with a great variety of trees and shrub- 
bery. There were stables, a bakery, brewery, kitchen, larder, 

1 Shippen's house had been built in 1697 on Second Street near Dock. It 
was a fine mansion, surrounded by orchards and gardens. Edward Shippen 
was described as having "the biggest person, the biggest house, and the 
biggest coach." 

2 This house had been recently built by Samuel Carpenter, the merchant 
prince of early Philadelphia. It was torn down in 1868. 

' He was the eldest child of Hannah Callowhill and the only one of Penn's 
children bom in America. From this fact he is known as "the American." 

* After Penn left Pennsylvania for the last time in 1701, the mansion was 
neglected, the reservoir on the roof leaked, the water injured the walls and the 
furniture, so that the whole building fell into decay. It was taken down just 
before the Revolution and now scarcely a trace of the grand mansion remains. 



PENN'S SECOND VISIT 



57 



and washhouse. For the river there was a handsome barge 
with a mast and probably six oars. Penn preferred to tra\el 
in this to the city rather than in his coach. In all respects 
he lived in a style befitting his position. 

He made frequent trips on horseback, and in this way vis- 
ited Xew York and Maryland. He frequently met with the 
Indians and often entertained them hospitably at Pennsbury. 



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William Penn's Plan for Philadelphia 



Penn and Legislation. — Penn's attention w^as closely occu- 
pied with civil and political matters. In response to the 
wishes of the authorities in England, laws were passed against 
illicit trade and for the suppression of the pirates in the Del- 
aware. He also had to transmit to the Council and Assembly 
a request from the British Government for £350 to pay for 
the erection of forts on the New York frontier. It was an 
embarrassing position for Penn. On the one hand he could 
not well refuse to obey the king, while on the other he could 
not as a man of peace urge such an appropriation. He 
therefore simply presented the letter and j^ut the responsi- 
bility upon the legislature. After some time, the Assembly 
made two replies, the representatives from Pennsylvania 



58 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

excusing themselves from making an appropriation on 
account of other taxes, while expressing a wiUingness to serve 
the king ''as far as their religious persuasions would permit." 
Those from the "lower counties" asked to be excused from 
"contributing to forts abroad while they were unable to 
build any for their own defence at home." Though Penn 
brought the matter up at the next meeting of the Assembly 
nothing was done. 

The one hundred laws enacted during Penn's stay covered 
subjects of every kind, such as forbidding the purchase of 
lands from the Indians without the consent of the proprie- 
tary, naturalization, opening of roads and building of bridges, 
scolding, duehng, indentured servants, and a quarantine act. 

"Charter of Privileges,'* 1701. — In 1701 Penn received 
information that a serious effort was being made in England 
to annex all proprietary governments to the crown, and that 
his personal presence was needed to ward off the danger. 
This compelled his return to England to defend his interests. 
Before he sailed, the most important act of his stay was accom- 
phshed. This was the granting of a new constitution. Penn 
called the Assembly together, told the members of his ap- 
proaching departure, and asked them to review their laws and 
propose new ones that might better their circumstances. In 
five days they presented twenty-one articles for his consider- 
ation. Though Penn was somewhat hurt at certain of the 
demands, he granted most of the requests. A new constitu- 
tion or "Charter of Privileges," as it was called, was agreed 
upon and signed September 28, 1701., by William Penn, his 
council and the speaker of the Assembly.^ 

^ Those signing were Edward Shippen, Phincas Peml^erton, Samuel Car- 
penter, Griffith Owen, Caleb Pusey, Thomas Story, and Joseph Growdon, 
Speaker of the Assembly. 



PENN'S SECOND VISIT 59 

This charter closely resembled that of 16S2, but was more 
liberal and more democratic. The greatest changes were 
in regard to the legislature. An Assembly was provided for, 
to consist of four representatives from each county, elected 
annually ''upon the first day of October forever. Which 
Assembly shall have the power to choose a speaker and their 
other officers; and shall be judges of the qualifications and 
elections of their own members; sit upon their own adjourn- 
ments; appoint committees; propose bills in order to pass 
laws, . . . and shall have all other powers and privileges of 
an assembly according to the rights of the freeborn subjects 
of England, and as is usual in any of the King's Plantations 
in America." The members of the council were given no part 
in legislation and were to be appointed by the governor. The 
council became an advisory board to the governor, having 
some executive duties, and was in some cases a court of appeal. 
It usually consisted of able men and its influence often was 
very great. 

Provision was also made for the separation of the ''three 
lower counties," if desired. The separation was effected in 
1702, and from this time until the Revolution, though having 
the same governor, the two colonies had separate assembhes. 

By this "Charter of Privileges" Pennsylvania, except as 
to her governor and the slight connection with the crown, 
became a real democracy with an independent legislature of 
one house. Under this constitution Pennsylvania flourished 
for seventy-five years; it became the basis of the State Con- 
stitution of 1776 and of all other subsequent constitutions.' 

1 Penn, as in the Charter of 1682, provided for religious e(|uality, except as 
regarding office holders, who must be Christians. The Knglish Toleration Act 
excluded Catholics from office, and in a short time this Act was extended to 
all colonies. To Penn's indignation the Pennsylvania officials subscribed to 



6o HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Charter of Philadelphia, 1701. — Another important meas- 
ure was. a charter of the city of Philadelphia. This was 
granted on the 25th of October, 1701/ just before Penn left. 
This charter resembled those of the Middle Ages. The 
aldermen and common councilmen were appointed for life 
and filled any vacancies which might occur in their number. 
The mayor was chosen annually from the aldermen by at 
least five of the aldermen and nine of the councilmen. Penn 
appointed Edward Shippen, mayor, Thomas Story, recorder, 
eight aldermen and twelve councilmen. This charter was in 
force until 1776, the time of the Revolution.- 

Results of Penn's Visit. — During his stay of less than two 
years Penn had accomplished much. He had put an end to 
disorder, he had softened party feehng, he had approved judi- 
cious laws, he had granted a liberal charter, had incorpo- 
rated Philadelphia, had arranged for a peaceful separation of 
the ''three lower counties," and had also held many meetings 
with the Indians and cemented the bonds of good feeling. 

Penn and his family sailed on the 2d of November (1701) 
in the Dolmahoy, and arrived at Portsmouth in thirty days 
after leaving the Capes of the Delaware. 

Penn in England; The Fords; Penn in Debtors' Prison. — 
He returned to a difficult and trying situation. The attempt 
to supersede the proprietary governments failed but the pro- 
ject was not abandoned. Penn's personal affairs, however, 
gave him the greatest anxiety and trouble. He had inherited 
from his father a large property, the greater part of which 

this Act, and in 1705 the Assembly reenacted the test. So, in spite of the 
provisions of the Charter, Cathohcs, Jews, and unbelievers were excluded from 
office until the Revolution. 

^ A charter duly signed and dated in 1691, was found in 1887, but as no 
records exist of its operation, it could have been in force only for a short time. 

2 From 1776 to 1790 the city was without a charter. 



PENN'S SECOND VISIT 6i 

was in Ireland. Owing to the wars and the turmoil in Ire- 
land after the revolution of 1688, the income from his Irish 
estates was greatly diminished. His Pennsylvania enterprise 
had been very expensive, costing him over £50,000, from 
which investment he had received but little return. Alany 
of the colonists resisted the system of quit-rents and would 
not pay, and others had httle money. The only surviving 
son of his first marriage, WiUiam Penn, Jr., was a spend- 
thrift and a depraved man, costing his father much. Above 
all, the steward of his Irish estates, Philip Ford, had cheated 
him out of thousands of pounds, claiming that he had 
expended large sums for Penn's benefit. Penn at that time 
having perfect confidence in Ford, signed deeds and papers, 
giving as security large tracts of land in Pennsylvania. 
With compound interest and more frauds the account grew 
so that in 1699 Ford put in a claim for £7,000, and Penn 
privately conveyed the whole of Pennsylvania to him as 
security for the debt. On Penn's return, as was customary 
among the Quakers, he laid the case before the Friends' 
Meeting, asking for a settlement by arbitration, which the 
Fords ^ refused. A long legal contest followed. Penn's 
friends now took up the case and brought in charges of 
fraud, and on the advice of his friends Penn refused all pay- 
ment and went to the debtors' prison. After he had re- 
mained there about a year, the Fords were compelled to 
compromise. They agreed to accept half of their claim of 
£14,000, which amount w^as raised by Penn's friends on 
security of future receipts from Pennsylvania, and Penn was 
at last released. 

^ Mrs. P'ord and her son, for Philip Ford had died. 



CHAPTER VII 

PENNSYLVANIA IN THE EARLY EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 
WILLIAM PENN 

Pennsylvania in 1701. — At the time of William Penn's 
second visit the colony had been in existence about eighteen 
years. Notwithstanding many drawbacks the condition of 
affairs was flourishing. 

The population was about 17,000, mostly English and Welsh, 
with some Germans and Swedes, but the Quakers were still 
in the majority. About one half of the inhabitants lived in 
Philadelphia. Trade was good and there was considerable 
commerce between Philadelphia and England, the vessels 
often going by way of the West Indies to increase the oppor- 
tunity for trade. The farmers were prosperous. Philadel- 
phia was built up as far as Fifth or Sixth Street, and extended 
along the river north and south. Most of the houses were 
built of brick, and with its regularly laid-out streets Phila- 
delphia presented an attractive appearance. There were 
practically no public buildings, and the Assembly sat in 
Friends' meeting houses or wherever accommodation could be 
secured, even ''ale houses" being occasionally made use of. 

The great lack of the colony was ready money. Nearly all 
transactions were settled in produce; wheat, corn, tobacco, 
and other articles taking the place of coin. There was as yet 
no paper money. 

Though Penn had offered the Council and Assembly the priv- 
ilege of choosing the deputy governor, they did not accept, 



EARLY EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 



63 



and so he appointed Andrew Hamilton of New Jersey, who 
Hved only a short time. Edward Shippen, who was president 
of the council, acted as deputy-governor for about a year.^ 

Political Parties. — William Penn had the respect of all the 
people and the affection of most, and as long as he was in 




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Swedish Houses, Queen St., Philadelphia 
Built in the early part of the eighteenth centur>' 

Pennsylvania there was quiet. But, as soon as he left, slum- 
bering jealousies awoke and factions began their strife and con- 
tinued it for many years. There were three parties. First, the 
proprietary party with James Logan, Penn's representative, as 
leader. This party was composed of the richer and better 
educated Friends, especially in Philadelphia. These controlled 
the Council, and in general were desirous of conducting the 
colony in accordance with Penn's wishes. Logan, perhaps the 
ablest man in the colony, was too aristocratic to be a good 

1 Markham doubtless could have been appointed again had he not been in 
ill health. He died 1704. 



64 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

leader. He was lacking in sympathy, reserved in manner, 
severe in speech, and rather harsh in his judgment. 

The second and popular party, was led by David Lloyd, 
the best lawyer in Pennsylvania. He was a consistent 
Quaker, holding their special doctrines regarding war, 
oaths, peace, and other matters. He was strongly demo- 
cratic in his political views, a violent upholder of popular 
rights, and not always scrupulous as to the means he em- 
ployed to gain his ends. He was supported by the country 
Friends until he lost their approval through his violent meas- 
ures. He possessed great influence and had much to do with 
shaping the legislation and government of the colony. 

The third party, a small one, but having much influence, 
was the Church of England party. This, on account of its con- 
nections in England, gave the Quakers considerable trouble. It 
demanded defense by force against Indian and other enemies, 
and the imposition of legal oaths, claiming that affirmations 
and declarations were not enough. The Quakers objected not 
only to taking oaths themselves, but also to administering 
them to others. The directions from England to administer 
oaths to those who were willing to take them caused the Quaker 
magistrates much trouble, and some resigned. The object of 
this third party was to take Pennsylvania out of the hands of 
the proprietary, and make it a crown colony, and to intro- 
duce the established church and a military system. The 
leader was Colonel Robert Quarry,^ judge of the admiralty. 
He was appointed by the crown to look after its interests, 
and was independent of the colonial government. 

Governor John Evans. — After Hamilton's death Penn 
appointed a young Welshman, John Evans, as deputy gov- 

^ The name in the records and correspondence of the day is often spelled 
Quary. 



EARLY EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 65 

ernor. In this choice Penn again showed his inabiUty to 
judge character, for Evans was perhaps the worst of his ap- 
pointees. His conduct during the five years he held the ofhce 
showed him to be lacking in tact, judgment, and prudence, — ■ 
indeed in almost all qualities such as an official in his posi- 
tion should possess. 

William Penn, Jr. — William Penn's only living son by his 
first marriage, WiUiam Penn, Jr., had made an early marriage 
and had left his family to be supported by his father. His 
course of life gave great anxiety to his father, who thought 
that possibly a stay in Pennsylvania might lead to good re- 
sults. So he sent him out, putting him under the joint care of 
James Logan and Governor Evans. Unfortunately Evans 
sympathized with young Penn and various stories were told of 
their escapades and fast life. On one occasion a city constable 
was assaulted while trying to stop some of their riotous pro- 
ceedings. Evans escaped, but young Penn was arrested and 
indicted for the offense. The governor forbade the trial. In 
less than a year young Penn, having sold his property in 
Pennsylvania, returned to England to continue to be a burden 
and disgrace to his family.^ 

David Lloyd's Attack on Penn. — The popular party at 
this time became active, and the Assembly, through the influ- 
ence of David Lloyd, made a severe attack upon Penn him- 
self, who was charged with misusing his position in order to 
injure the colony, and managing affairs for his own benefit. 
An additional charge was made that the hfe and example of 
Governor Evans and William Penn, Jr., increased the practice 
of vice in Pennsylvania. There was some truth in this latter 
assertion regarding Evans and young Penn, but as a whole 

^ He outlived his father, and died in P>ance about 1719. He left three 
children. 



66 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



the charges were grossly exaggerated. It was petty spite that 
caused this complaint to be sent to three Friends in England 
instead of to Penn direct. When this action became known 
there was general condemnation. The next Assembly pub- 
lished a disclaimer and directed David Lloyd, the speaker, 
to forward it to Penn. He did this, but at the same time gave 
private instructions that the paper should not be dehvered 
to Penn. Unfortunately for him the vessel was captured by 
the French, and the documents fell into the hands of Penn's 
friends, who forwarded them to him. 

Governor Evans' False Alarm. — At the next election most 
of the members of the previous Assembly were defeated. 

Penn's supporters were largely in 
the majority, and David Lloyd lost 
the speakership. Had Governor 
Evans possessed any discretion all 
would have gone on well, but he 
irritated the people in various ways. 
One of his follies related to the 
mihtia. The Assembly would 
make no appropriation for a mihtia, 
but they did not object to the gov- 
ernor's raising a volunteer body. 
Evans determined to put their 
principles to a test and try to scare them into establishing 
a mihtia. It was the time of a war between England and 
France (1706) and the possibility of French war vessels 
entering the Delaware was by no means unlikely. While an 
annual fair was in progress, a mounted messenger suddenly 
made his appearance, shouting that a French fleet was com- 
ing up the river. Evans himself soon appeared, sword in 
hand, calling upon the people to defend themselves. It was 




Early Seal of Bucks 

County Inrollment 

Office 



EARLY EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 67 

natural that a panic should follow — valuables were hidden, 
wives and children sent into the country, and many men 
mustered for defense. Very few Friends took i)art, and it 
being the day for their mid-week meeting most of them 
wTnt to their houses of worship. The deception became 
known before night, and the disgust and chagrin of the 
people at the foohsh trick played upon them was great. 

Evans and River Toll. — Another ill-advised act of the 
governor related to the collection of duties. Evans as 
governor of the 'Three Lower Counties" (Delaware) either 
suggested or allowed the erection of a fort on the Dela- 
ware River for the collection of toll from all vessels passing 
up or dowm. This, of course, would be a tax on the 
trade of Philadelphia and against Penn's purpose that 
there should be a free highway between Pennsylvania and 
the sea, which was one of the main reasons for the acquire- 
ment of the territory.^ 

Two wealthy merchants — ^one of whom, Richard Hill, had 
been an old sea captain, and Samuel Preston — had their 
sloop Philadelphia ready to sail. Governor Evans, learning of 
their intention of putting to sea, rode on horseback to New 
Castle to reach the fort before the vessel should pass it. The 
sloop meanwhile proceeded down the river, Richard Hill tak- 
ing the helm himself, and sailed past the fort where Evans was 
watching. The sloop was fired upon, but the shot went through 
the mainsail, doing little harm. Hill then i)ut in to Salem 
Creek, where he found Lord Cornbury, the governor of New 
York, and submitted the case to him. Evans had followed, 

^ Evans had made his prei)aration secretly, getting an engineer from New 
York to lay out the fort for him. James Logan wrote of 10 vans, "He is so 
hidden that he closes himself, like what is said of the cutlle-lish, with his own 
inbred darkness, and escapes the light." 



68 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

so all parties were present. Cornbury reproved Evans, 
the Philadelphia went on her way, and Richard Hill returned 
to the city victorious. Evans, finding everyone against him, 
at last gave in, and suspended the law. Later the fort was 
demolished. 

David Lloyd and James Logan. — Evans's follies soon ahen- 
ated the people from the proprietary party, and David Lloyd 
again became the leading man, or ''boss," as he would be 
called now. Lloyd succeeded in having Logan, who was his 
bitter political enemy, impeached on a number of charges; 
but the council managed to evade the demand for Logan's 
trial, and he was allowed to sail for England. He remained 
away two years and then returned fully acquitted by Penn 
and also by public opinion. 

Notwithstanding David Lloyd's methods, his political 
agitation was productive of good, for it was of great impor- 
tance to the colony that the popular spirit should be kept 
earnest and active. David Lloyd and his followers more 
nearly carried out William Penn's principle of popular rule 
than did Logan and his friends. The policy of the former 
was democratic, of the latter aristocratic. Each party went 
to extremes which might better have been avoided. 

Penn in Favor. — Before long there came a change of 
sentiment regarding Penn, and the new AssembFy was strongly 
in his favor. Many good laws were passed. The Friends 
had been aroused to the iniquities of slavery, and their 
influence in the Assembly brought about the passage of 
laws to prevent the importation of negroes. But the English 
government, beheving that the commercial interests of Eng- 
land would be injured, vetoed the^ laws. The slave trade 
was much too profitable to be menac ed in any way by 
a colonial legislature. 



EARLY EIGHTEENTH CENTUR-i' 



69 



David Lloyd, defeated in the election, retired to Chester, 
and when he came back to political life his course was cred- 
itable. He died in 1720 as chief 
justice of the colony, greatly respected. 

Military Requisitions, 1709. — A 
war with France was being carried on 
in Canada, and Governor Gookin, the 
successor of Evans, was asked by the 
British government to furnish and 
support one hundred and fifty men for 
the expedition against Canada. Gov- 
ernor Gookin tried to comply in a way 
which would not arouse the anti-war 
principles of the Quakers. He there- 
fore suggested that the Assembly 
should make him a grant of £4000. 
But the Assembly delayed action and 
then said, ''it was contrary to their 
religious principles to hire men to kill 
one another." After some time the 
Assembly unanimously resolved that 
they could not directly or indirectly 
raise money for an expedition against 
Canada, but they voted the Queen 
£500 as a token of their respect and said that the money 
should be put into safe hands until they were " satisfied from 
England that it should not be employed for the use of war." 
The next Assembly after due consideration voted £2000 ''for 
the Queen's use," expressing the hope that this action ''will 
be taken in good part and accepted as a token of our duty."^ 

^ This action was accompanied by a somewhat ehiboratc statement e.\i)lain- 
ing that while they were "rehgiously persuaded against war and therefore 




Court House or City 
Hall, Chester 

Erected in 17 14; the oldest 
public building in Penn- 
sylvania 



yo HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The war came to an end in 17 13, and no other requisition 
was made for about thirty years. 

The Question of Oaths. — Another difficulty which Gookin 
had to face was that connected with the use of legal oaths. 
The Quakers^ as has been seen, objected to oaths and were 
strenuous in their opposition. In 171 1 the Assembly passed 
an act making an affirmation legal in all cases where a per- 
son had conscientious scruples against taking an oath. In 
this case the individual was to declare that his evidence was, 
''the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." 
Gookin signed this act, but when it reached England the gov- 
ernment vetoed it. The Assembly then reenacted the bill. 

But in 1715 the English law regarding oaths was extended 
to all the colonies for five years. This act required that all 
evidence in legal cases should be confirmed by oath, and 
admitted no affirmations whatever. According to the provi- 
sions of the act no person objecting to an oath could give any 
evidence in a court of justice, sit on a jury, or hold any civil 
office. A man might see his goods stolen before his eyes and 
yet because he would not swear to it he had no remedy.^ 

Governor Gookin held that this law applied to Pennsyl- 
vania, and though he was remonstrated with and the peculiar 
conditions of Pennsylvania urged upon him, he would not 
yield. The Quakers held that as their principles were well 
known at the time of granting the charter it was bad faith 
to try to enforce such a law. Moreover, as most of the judges, 

could not be active therein," they felt it their "bounden duty to pay tribute and 
yield due obedience to the powers God had set over them as far as their religious 
persuasions can admit." The use to which the Queen might put the money 
was her part, not theirs. 

^ "And this notwithstanding he said that he was ready to suffer all the 
penalties for perjury if his declaration or affirmation was found to be false or 
in any way consciously untrue." 



EARLY EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 



71 



magistrates, and civil officers were Quakers it would be im- 
possible to administer justice and keep order. The judges 
hesitated to perform their duties under Gookin's interpreta- 
tion, and so for about two years the colony existed almost 
without a government.^ 




Seal of thf Province of Pennsylvania — 171 2 



Penn Plans to sell Pennsylvania to the Crown. — Penn had 
suffered so much from his financial and political difficulties 
that he had decided to sell to the crown his rights in Penn- 
sylvania, reserving only his private property and the lands 
that he owned. The negotiations began as early as 1700. 
There were many difficulties, because Penn was unwilling 
that any action of his should injure the freedom or personal 
rights possessed by the colonists, especially those dear to the 
Quakers. It was Penn's stipulation that "the people called 
Quakers be continued as capable and eligible to any civil 
employment" which caused the negotiations to be prolonged 
until 1712. The terms were agreed upon, and £12,000 

1 As this condition of affairs could not go on indefinitely, the Assembly and 
council unanimously petitioned the proprietary for the removal of Gookin. 



72 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

fixed as the price. Penn had already received an advance 
payment of £1000 when a stroke of paralysis rendered him 
incapable of transacting business, and the sale fell through, 
to the benefit of his family/ and to the great advantage of 
Pennsylvania, which in this way escaped becoming a crown 
colony. 

Death of Penn, 1718. — Penn lived six years longer, wath 
weakened mind and body, but not unhappily, for all his 
troubles were forgotten, and he retained the religious seren- 
ity which had been so characteristic of him. He died in 17 18 
and was buried by the side of his first wife in the little Quaker 
graveyard of Jordans, where a simple stone marks the resting 
place of the great man. Notwithstanding the aspersions of 
his enemies and the false charges of historians, his fame has 
increased, and Penn holds a higher place than ever in the 
regard of mankind.- 

The English and Irish estates of Wilham Penn went to 
William Penn, Jr., with provision for his sister Letitia. The 
American estates were left to William Penn's widow, Hannah 
Penn, and her children, who were all minors. William Penn, 
Jr., tried to gain possession of the Amicrican estates, but the 
courts sustained the will. So Hannah Penn as executrix 
administered affairs, and she proved herself far more capable 
in business matters than her husband. 

^ After the American Revolution had begun Penn's heirs received more than 
ten times as much for the extinguishment of their rights and claims. 

2 The charges of Macaulay have been amply disproved by Paget, Forster, 
Dixon, Janney, and others. They have been somewhat modified in the later 
editions of the History but in essentials they still stand without comment 
both in text and index. 



CHAPTER VIII 

EARLY PENNSYLVANIA UNDER PENN'S SUCCESSORS 

The German Immigrants. — Before continuing the poHt- 
ical history of the colony it will be well to review the charac- 
ter and condition of the inhabitants. Mention has already 
been made of the coming of Pastorius and the early colonists 
who settled Germantown. About 17 17 another great tide 
of German immigrants began to arrive from the neighbor- 
hood of the Rhine. The route taken by these early immi- 
grants was down the Rhine to Rotterdam, thence to some 
English port/ and then direct to the Delaware. 

These people came from the borders of Switzerland, the 
Rhine country, and from Baden, Saxony, Hanover, and other 
countries. They were all Protestants, and many were Men- 
nonites^ who held many views in common with the Quakers. 
It was the freedom for religious belief and practice which 
attracted these people. They are often called Palatines 
because the first settlers were from the Palatinate, one of the 
states of southern Germany. Some of them were poor. ''The 
men wore long red caps on their heads. The women had 
neither bonnets, hats, nor caps, but merely a string passing 
around the head to keep the hair from the face. Their 
clothing was homespun and woven very plain and coarse 
and cut upon fashions of their own." So many came that 
the council took steps to discover the character of the immi- 

^ This was a necessity, for by the Navigation Acts then in force, all vessels 
trading with the colonies were compelled to clear from an English port. 



74 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

grants and to require them to take oaths or affirmations of 
''being well affected to his Majesty." As these immigrants 
could not legally hold land, spoke no language but German, 
and were ignorant of colonial customs, it was natural that 
there should be concern regarding the influence they might 
have upon the colony. Fortunately the vast majority were 
sober, industrious, peaceable farmers, only bent on better- 
ing their condition. The immigration continued, and by 
1725 there were fifty thousand Germans in Pennsylvania. 
The first who came settled around German town. Those 
coming later settled in communities of their own in the 
Lehigh and Schuylkill valleys and in Bucks, Berks, Mont- 
gomery, Chester, and Lancaster counties. They kept their 
own language, dress, and customs, and so it happens that in 
this twentieth century there are large tracts of country where 
a dialect of German, known as ''Pennsylvania Dutch," is 
still spoken. By 1750 it is estimated that the Germans 
formed one third of the population of Pennsylvania, at that 
time about 275,000 people. 

The Germans have formed a valuable part of the "popula- 
tion, for while their conservatism has sometimes been exces- 
sive, their industry, honesty, and other sterling qualities 
have been of great worth. 

These German immigrants belonged to different Protes- 
tant denominations. The Lutherans and the Reformed 
were the most numerous; there were also the Mennonites, 
who settled for the most part in Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, 
and Montgomery counties; the Tunkers or Dunkards, who 
settled at Ephrata in Lancaster County, and whose printing 
press became famous; the Moravians, who settled Nazareth 
and Bethlehem, and, under the leadership of Count Zinzen- 
dorf , became great missionaries and educators, and the small 



UNDER PENN'S SUCCESSORS 



7: 



body of Schwenkfeldcrs, who settled along the upper Schuyl- 
kill. The Schwenkfelders, the Tunkers and Mennonites, all 
agreed with the Quakers in regard to oaths, war, and sim- 
pHcity of hfe, and consistently supported the Quakers in 
their legislation and action in regard to these matters. 








Sisters' House and Saal at Ephrata 
Erected about 1740 



In the early days agriculture was the chief occupation, 
and the German farmers, especially of Lancaster County, 
were unsurpassed. Their skill, industry, and economy 
brought them great prosperity, and they contributed much 
to the material resources of the commonwealth. The de- 
scendants of the Germans have hlled positions of honor 
in the community, no less than eight having occupied the 
governor's chair. 

The Scotch-Irish. — Another influential element of the 
population has been what is known as the Scotch-Irish. The 
name is not a very good one, for they had Htlle or no Irish 
blood. They were the descendants of Scotsmen who had 



76 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

colonized Ulster, in the north of Ireland, during the reign of 
James I. They had prospered and were excellent farmers, 
and had also developed the Hnen industry with great suc- 
cess. They were Presbyterians and so Nonconformists. 
With the Quakers and other Nonconformists as regards the 
Church of England, they had suffered much in the reign of 
Charles II; they had loyally supported William III in his 
struggle to retain Ireland, and the siege of Londonderry 
( 1 688-1 689) is one of the famous sieges of history. Not- 
withstanding this, the English Parliament refused to extend 
the Act of Toleration to Ireland, and subjected these people 
to all the exactions and restrictions which were the lot of 
those who differed from the established church. In addition 
to this the trade laws passed by the English Parliament for- 
bade the export from Ireland of the articles she was best 
fitted to produce, and deprived Irish ships of the benefit of 
the Navigation Act. 

The result was, that, beginning about 1718,^ a stream of 
immigrants from Ireland set toward America and continued, 
until by the close of the eighteenth century thousands had 
sought new homes in the free western lands. 

These Scotch-Irish were the very opposite of the Germans, 
for they were energetic, self-reliant, pushing, quick-tempered, 
and warlike. Had the Germans been less conservative and 
the Scotch-Irish less violent it would have been better for the 
cause of peace and order. 

Some of these immigrants remained in the eastern part of 
the colony, but more pushed on to the frontier, often settling 
upon lands regardless of the owners, and when forced to 
leave taking up other tracts still farther west. They had 

^ Many of the long leases of land ran out about this time and could not 
l.rolUably be renewed, which was another inducement to leave Ireland. 



UNDER PENN'S SUCCESSORS 77 

no faith whatever in the peaceful policy of the Quakers, and 
no confidence in the Indians, whom they regarded as having 
no rights. It would be far from the truth to imagine that 
all were of this character. The majority were men who 
valued liberty and desired to be good citizens, but they were 
dogmatic in their reHgion, easily provoked, and combative. 
They were the steady opposers of the Quaker pohcies down 
to the Revolution. They naturally took the American side 
in the conflict, and at that period gained control of the polit- 
ical situation. 

Governor Sir William Keith; Changes in the Legal Code. 
— The petition to remove Gookin reached England when Penn 
was unable to transact business, and so his wife, Hannah 
Penn, and her advisers selected William Keith. ^ He was a 
man of experience in colonial matters and had already visited 
Philadelphia. He shrewdly recognized the necessity of con- 
ciliating the Assembly, and was remarkably successful in 
doing so. He came to Pennsylvania in 171 7. Shortly after, 
an act permitting affirmation was passed and sent to Eng- 
land, where it was confirmed. But at the same time and 
probably to make the affirmation act more acceptable, 
changes were made in the criminal law which made it more 
like the English code. Highway robbery, burglary, and 
other serious crimes were made punishable by death. This 
action was not creditable to the Assembly, but it seems 
to have aroused no protest. This code continued in 
force till the Revolution, when a return was made to the 
old law. 

The matter of affirmations was finally settled in 1724, 
when every one was left to take an oath or affirmation as 

^ He afterwards succeeded to a haronetc)- and is generall\- known as Sir 
William Keith. 



78 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

his conscience might chelate. The resuh was to drive the 
Quakers from an}' position in which the}- had to administer 
an oath.^ 

Sir WilUam Keith was so tactful that the Assembly voted 
him a good salar}', and he actually induced them to establish 
a militia; expenses were kept low, and he was pohtic in his 
treatment of the Indians. 

Lack of Money. — The one element of disturbance was the 
lack of money. Most payments had to be made by means 
of barter, which was very inconvenient. The law^s of Eng- 
land forbade the establishment of many kinds of manufac- 
tures. The imports from England were large, and had to 
be paid for in gold and silver, which caused a continual drain 
of coin. Wirious means had been adopted to remedy the 
trouble in the other colonies. The most common was the 
issue of paper money, but in many cases the security had not 
been suiTicient, and the bills were at a large discount. 

Paper Money Issued. — When Governor Keith proposed 
that Pennsylvania should issue paper money there was much 
opposition, based on the experience of other colonies, but 
Imally Keith's plan was adopted (1723) with happy results. 
The success was due to the fact that no bills were issued 
without ample security. The consequence was that with a 
secure and convenient medium of exchange business greatly 
prospered. The system w^as employed till the Revolution.^ 
The first issue was for £15,000 and the bills varied in amount 
from one shilling to twenty shillings. 

* If any one proferrod taking an oath the official was bound to administer it. 

- The method was substantially, "that any owner of plate, or unencumbered 
real estate, could procure those bills by pledging his property and paying five 
per cent per annum. The loan on plate could be for one year onh', on real 
estate for eight years." One eighth of the loan was to be repaid yearly. 



UNDER PENN'S SUCCESSORS 



79 



Keith Quarrels with the Council and is Removed. — 
Though Keith was popular in the Assembly and with the 
people, the Council was suspicious. Keith on his part held, 
and was doubtless technically correct, that he was not re- 
quired to follow its advice. James Logan, still secretary of 
the province and special representative of Hannah Penn, 
was removed by Keith. Logan submitted, but went to 






^^ 



t ir^ .J. /--v -I'S - ,-V. ^■^Sw^ ^ 







,.»>*i- 




<jp. 




^^fej^^^y^ 



^'^'t^,V^'= - 






Gr^me Park, REsroENCE of Sir William Keith 

At Horsham, Montgomery County. The estate contained 1200 acres. 

Keith built the house in 1722 

After a pairiting in the Collection of the Pennsylvania Historical Society 

England to complain to Mrs. Penn. She restored him to 
ofhce and censured Keith, and directed him to consult the 
Council in all that he did. Keith, to defend himself, sent all 
the papers to the Assembly. David Lloyd took his side and 
the Assembly voted Keith a thousand pounds. But Mrs. 
Penn held the reins, and when she heard of the afTair she 
quietly removed Keith. He left the country in 1728. and 
died in London in poverty, in 1749. 



8o HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Benjamin Franklin comes to Philadelphia, 1723. — Keith 
had been the best governor the province had so far known, 
but he had not paid enough attention to the rights of those 
who employed him. During his administration Pennsyl- 
vania's greatest and most celebrated citizen, Benjamin 
Franklin, came to Philadelphia. He arrived, a young man of 
seventeen, in 1723. He soon found employment as a printer, 
and before long he attracted the attention of Keith, who 
talked pleasantly and plausibly to him. Franklin confided to 
him his wish to establish a printing house, and Keith advised 
him to go to London for his outfit, promising him letters 
of introduction and giving the impression that the pubhc 
or some one would furnish the needful funds for buying 
a press, and that Franklin should have the public print- 
ing. The letters and money were to be sent on board the 
vessel on which Franklin had taken passage. Keith never 
sent him the letters or money, and Franklin had to make his 
own way in London. In his Autobiography he treats Keith 
severely, and through this episode Keith's name is better 
known than that of almost any other colonial governor. 

Governor Gordon's Administration. — The next governor 
sent out from England was Patrick Gordon.^ 

If quiet, peace, prosperity, and growth are indications of 
success, Gordon's term of ofhce must be regarded as the best 
in Pennsylvania's colonial history. He was an old soldier, 
and was eighty-two years of age when appointed, but so 
vigorous was he, that he continued in office until his death 
at the age of ninety-two (1736). Among the most impor- 

^ This appointment was made while Springett Penn, William Penn, Jr.'s, old- 
est son, was prosecuting his claim, as eldest male descendant of William Penn, 
to the government and possession of Pennsylvania. The contestants agreed 
on the appointment, which was approved by the British government. 



UNDER PENN'S SUCCESSORS 8i 

tant matters which claimed attention during his term of 
office were the ever-recurring boundary dispute with Mary- 
land, the reduction of the duty on salt for the benefit of 
the Delaware fishermen, the appointment of a permanent 
agent in London to look after the affairs of the province, 
treaties with the Indians, and the establishment of Lancaster 
County (1729). 

Redemptioners. — The large number of immigrants com- 
ing into Pennsylvania, especially those belonging to the class 
of indentured servants, presented many questions not easy 
to answer. These indentured servants were those who, 
being too poor to emigrate, bound or sold themselves for 
a term of years in order to pay their passage and other 
expenses. This was usually arranged with the master or 
owner of the vessel, who through his agent sold the men on 
arrival to those who would buy. Such an advertisement as 
the following was common: 

THOMAS DENHAM to his good country friends adviseth: 
That he hath some hkely Servants to dispose of. One hundred 
Palatines at £10 a head. 

The system appealed especially to the Germans, and they 
came in great numbers. These redemptioners, as they were 
called, usually brought from £2 to £4 per year, but as they 
had to be fed and clothed, they really cost much more, and 
the risk of servants running away had always to be taken 
into consideration. Many of these redemptioners were de- 
sirable citizens, being skilled workmen in various trades, who 
from disaster or for other reasons desired to try their fortune 
in the New World. ^ Others were worthless. 

^ It is estimated that from 1737 to 1746 about 10,000 Palatines arrived 
in Pennsylvania, and from 1747 to 1756 about 40,000. These included 
redemptioners. 



82 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



Franklin and his Plans for the Public Benefit. — Franklin 

returned to Philadelphia in 1725 and soon found employ- 
ment, and through his skill, industry, and ability was very 
successful. He bought the Pennsylvania Gazette ^ and on 
October 2, 1729, issued the first number of the new paper. 




After the portrait by Duplessis, painted in 1783 

This, with the Mercury, both weekly papers, made two news- 
papers in the province. Franklin's venture proved a great 
success, and through it, in addition to his personal character- 
istics, he attained a position of wide influence. He not only 
looked carefully after his own interests, but also after those of 

^ This paper still exists under the name of the Saturday Evening Post, with 
a weekly circulation which would certainly have astonished Franklin. 



UNDER PENN'S SUCCESSORS 



S3 



Poor Richard, 173';. 



A N 



Almanack 

For the Year of Ch rift 

I 



733 



the community. He was constantly suggesting improvements 
in existing conditions. In 1731 he persuaded his friends 
to deposit in a convenient place all the books they could 
spare for the use of others, 
and this was the begin- 
ning of the great library 
commonly known as the 
Philadelphia Library. In 
1732, when only twenty- 
six, he started his Poor 
Richard's Almanac^ which 
was continued for twenty- 
five years. The almanac 
professed to be edited by 
one Richard Saunders, 
but everyone knew that 
Franklin was the real 
editor. It was very much 
like other almanacs except 
that scattered through its 
pages were wise and witty 
sayings, full of practical 
common sense and incul- 
cating thrift and good 
morals. Many of these 
have become proverbs. 

of these maxims 
' God helps them 

help themselves," 

to-day is worth two to-morrows," Three removes 
are as bad as a fire," ''It is hard for an empty bag to stand 
upright." 



Being the Firft after LEAP YEAR: 

j^d makes Jir.ce the Creation Y e« rs 

By the Account of the Eaftern Creeks 7241 

By the Latin Church, when Q em. f ^932 

By the Computation of IV. IV jy^2 

By the Roman Chronology ^(,%^ 

By the 'Jiiuijb Rabbies j^j,^ 

Wherein is contained 
The Lunations, Eclipfes, Judgment of 

the Weather, Spring Tides, Planets Motions & 
mutual Afpcfts, Sun and Moon's Rifing and Set- 
ting, Length of Days, Time of High Water, 
Fairs, CourtJ, and obfcrvable Days 
Fitted tothc Latitude of Forty Degrees, 
and a Meridian of Five Hours Weft from London, 
but may without fenfiMc Error, ferve all the ad- 
jacent Places, even from Newfoundland to South- 
Carolfva. 



By RICHJRD SJUNDERS, Fhilom. 



Some 
are, 
that 
''One 



PHILADELPHIA; 

Printed and fold by B. FRjfNKL/N, at the New 
Printing Office near the Market. 

The Third IropnJTion. " 

Reduced Facsimile of the Title-page 
OF Poor Richard's Almanac 



84 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



Andrew Hamilton. — Another distinguished man of the 
period was Andrew Hamilton. He was born in Scotland about 
1676, emigrated to America, and came to Philadelphia from 
Maryland about 17 14 as a lawyer of high standing. He was 
soon in public life, being attorney general and a member of 
the Council and speaker of the Assembly for nine years. He 




The "State House," Philadelphia 

was a strong upholder of popular rights, and his most 
celebrated achievement was the successful defense in New 
York of the printer, John Peter Zenger, who was tried for a 
libel on the government, published in his paper, the New 
York Weekly Journal. This trial, which established the free- 
dom of the press in America, is the most famous one of colonial 
days, and is reckoned as one of the great trials of history. 

Building of the "State House." — But Hamilton is spe- 
cially interesting to Pennsylvanians, and to Philadelphians 
in particular, because he was the leading man in the move- 
ment which led to the erection of the State House now uni- 
versally known as Independence Hall. 



UNDER PENN'S SUCCESSORS 



85 



The need of public buildings was manifest, for the Assem- 
bly met sometimes in the court house and sometimes in pri- 
vate houses. At last, in 1729, an appropriation was made, 
and a committee appointed in which Andrew Hamilton 
took the leading part. He not only drew the j)lans, but also 
superintended the erection of the building. The interior 
arrangement and external appearance are due to him. The 
city, and indeed the whole country, may well be congratulated 
that the commission fell into such competent hands. No 
building of colonial days, and few — if any — since, surpass its 
simple and chaste yet dignified and 
handsome architecture. To Hamilton 
also is probably due the preservation 
of the square behind the hall as "a 
public open green and walks forever." 

The hall was first used for the 
Assembly in October, 1736, but the 
building was not finished until 1748. 

The "Liberty Bell." -- The Assem- 
bly was called together by a bell, and 
the need of a larger one had been felt 
for some time. In 1751 a resolution 

for a ''great bell" was passed and a committee consisting 
of Isaac Norris, Thomas Leech, and Edward Warner was 
appointed to procure one. The order was sent to London 
for a bell of two thousand pounds weight to cost about 
£100. Minute directions for its making were given, includ- 
ing the inscriptions to be placed upon it. The bell arrived, 
in August, 1752, and was duly hung in the tower. In test- 
ing the bell it was cracked so that it had to be re-cast.' 
Again it was unsatisfactory, and was re-cast a second tiir.(\ 

^ The Philadeli>hia workmen who re-cast the bell were Pass & Stow. 




Liberty Hell" 



86 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

This third casting was satisfactory and the bell was rung on 
many occasions, the most notable of which was in July, 
1776, when the independence of the colonies was proclaimed. 
For many years the bell has been known as the ''Liberty 
Bell." The almost prophetic motto, Proclaim Liberty 
throughout all the Land, to all the inhabitants thereof. — -Levit. 
XXV : 10, was suggested by Isaac Norris.^ The bell is said 
to have been cracked, July 8, 1835, when it was being 
tolled for the death of Chief Justice Marshall. 

Christ Church. — Another building begun at this period 
was Christ Church on Second Street. There had been as 
early as 1695 ^^ Episcopal church there, which was rebuilt 
in 171 1, and to which Queen Anne in 1708 had given some 
silver articles for the communion service. But it was felt 
that a larger and handsomer building was needed, so in 1727 
the work was begun. Dr. John Kearsley, who had been on 
the building committee of the state house, was the architect 
of the church and superintended its erection. It is a monu- 
ment to his good taste and skill. The building was completed 
in 1744, except the tower and steeple, which were finished in 
1754, when a chime of bells brought from England was 
placed in position. It is said that the captain of the vessel 
bringing them over made no charge, and ever after when 
his vessel came into port it was greeted with merry chimes 
from Christ Church steeple.^ (See plate facing page 133.) 

Philadelphia about 1730. — Philadelphia in 1730 was a 
flourishing town of about 10,000 inhabitants, but it was 

^ Isaac Norris was a great upholder of popular rights. On one occasion in 
a debate he said with great emphasis, "No man shall ever stamp his foot on 
my grave and say, 'Curse him! here lies one who basely betrayed the liberties 
of his country.' " 

2 Washington when living in Philadelphia, as President of the United States, 
regularly attended service at Christ Church and his pew is still pointed out. 



UNDER PENN'S SUCCESSORS 87 

lacking in what are called modem impro\enients. There 
were few sanitary regulations, and the water from kitchens, 
pumps, and manufactories found its way into the creeks and 
rivers over the surface of the ground. Tan yards, slaughter 
houses, and other offensive places Hned Dock Creek. There 
was no protection against fires, and a destructive fire in 1730 
led to the importation of fire engines and in 1737 to the estab- 
lishment of the Union Fire Company of Philadelphia, Franklin 
being one of the most active in organizing it. This com- 
pany of volunteer firemen was followed in a few years by a 
number of others. 

A public almshouse was begun in 1731 and finished the 
next year. It was situated in a field between Third and Fourth 
and Spruce and Pine Streets.^ 

There was much activity in the city and country. Roads 
were constructed or improved, new bridges built, and new 
ferries established. The Lancaster road- was opened in 
1733 and stage routes begun, and the post ofiice greatly 
extended. 

An advertisement in Andrew Bradford's Mercury^ July 
20, 1732, makes this announcement: 

"The Post Office which was first begun in America by Colonel 
Hamilton of New York about thirty eight years ago has never yet 
been established to the southward of Philadelphia. ... It is now 
extended about 350 miles from the city of Philadelphia to the city of 
Williamsburg in Virginia. . . . Mr. Andrew Bradford receives the 
mail from New England, New York, etc., every Wednesday and 
dispatches it between two and three o'clock on Thursday morning 
for Newcastle." 

* The Friends' Alms house on Walnut Street, between Third and I'\)urth 
Streets, had been in existence some time, but it was mainly for iiuligcuL 
Friends. It is the one mentioned in Longfellow's Evangeline. 

2 This is now known as the "Old Lancaster road." The present "Lan- 
caster turnpike" is of later construction. 



88 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 




The long announcement gives the route the mail carriers 
followed and the time between stations, by which it appears 
that mail from Philadelphia reached Williamsburg in seven 

days, that is, on the fol- 
lowing ''Thursday evening 
at six o'clock." 

Manufactures were be- 
ginning to receive atten- 
tion. The manufacture of 
iron had been started near 
Pottstown by Thomas 
Rutter of Germantown 
in 1717, and he had many 
followers. Brewing and 
distilling had long been 
established and the use 
of liquors was general. 
A statement of Governor 
Gordon to the Assembly 
in January, 1734, sounds 
as if it might have been 
made in the twentieth century. ^'The prevailing practice 
of drinking rum," he said, ''and the debauchery introduced 
by the vast consumption of it, is the crying sin and disease 
of the country." ^ 

The commerce of the province had a steady growth; for 
the seventeen years previous to 1736, there had been an 
average of one hundred and eighteen vessels per year arriving 
at the wharves of Philadelphia. 

' There were large imports of wines and spirits from England, and also of 
rum from New England and the West Indies. 



To the PUBLIC. 

THE FLYING MACHINE, kept Dy 
John Mercereau, at the New Blazing-Star-Feny, 
near New- York, fels off from Powles Hook every Mon- 
day, Wednefday, and Friday Mornings, for Philadelphia, 
and performs the Journey in a Day and a Half, for the 
Summer Seafon, till theiflof November ; from that Time 
to go twice a Week til] the firft of May, when they 
again perform it three Times a Week. When the Stages 
go only twice aWeek, they fet off Mondays and Thurf- 
days. The Waggons m Philadelphia fet out from the 
Sign of the George, in Second flreet, the fame Morning. 
The PafTengers are defined tocrofsthe Ferty the Evening 
before, as the Stages muft fet olf early the next Morning. 
The Price foreach PatTengeT is Twenty S/>i//ings, Proc. and 
Goods as ufual. PafTengers going Part of the Way to pay 
in Proportion. 

As the Proprietor has made fuch Improvements upon 
the Machines, one of which is in Imitation of a Coach, 
he hopes to merit the Favour of the Publick. 

JOHN MERCEREAU. 

JftyfYork Gazette IJJI 

"Flying Machine" Advertisement 



CHAPTER IX 
POLITICAL, COLONIAL, AND INDLAN PROBLEMS 

John and Thomas Penn Visit Pennsylvania. — Among the 
incidents of Gordon's term of office were the visits of John 
and Thomas Penn, sons of Wilham Penn, and now joint 
proprietors of Pennsylvania.^ They were received with a 
great celebration. John Penn returned to England the next 
year to look after the boundary contest with Lord Baltimore. 
Thomas Penn built for himself a handsome house and remained 
in the province until 1741. He had few of the graces or 
virtues of his father, was not popular, and displayed little 
or no public spirit. He left the Quakers, becoming it would 
seem a very worldly man, his whole concern apparently being 
to increase his estates which by this time were becoming more 
and more valuable. One means of multiplying his wealth 
was by purchases of land from the Indians, and it is in con- 
nection with these that Thomas Penn is chiefly remembered, 
not to his credit, as will appear. 

The Walking Purchase, 1737. — Up to this time the rela- 
tions of the whites and Indians had been friendly, the pur- 
chases made were fair, little or no advantage being taken 
of the Indians. James Logan, the secretary, was especially 
careful in his dealings with them. The Indians, however, 
began to realize that they were receiving no permanent 

^ In the settlement of the estate John received two fourths of the proprietary 
rights, Thomas one fourth, and John and Thomas as trustees for their brother 
Richard, a minor, one fourth. Their sister Margaret received a monej' allow- 
ance from her brothers. Hannah Penn died 1733. 



go HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

equivalent for their lands and were gradually being pushed 
farther and farther westward. It was not easy to keep 
the whites from entering the country still belonging to the 
Indians. In 1718 Logan had shown to the Indians deeds 
covering the country from Duck Creek in Delaware to 
the ''Forks of the Delaware,"^ and extending back toward 
the Susquehanna River. This the Indians acknowledged, 
but complained that the whites were entering the lands be- 
tween the Delaware and the Lehigh belonging to the Mini- 
sinks. Logan thereupon forbade the survey of any land in 
this region. This restriction was difficult to enforce. 

The Penns about this time (1737) sold a tract of ten thou- 
sand acres to be taken up "in some unsettled part of the 
province," and this region between the Delaware and the 
Lehigh was chosen as it included some of the most fertile 
lands, and allotments were made without consent of the 
Indians. 

In order to secure these allotments of land there was pro- 
duced a deed or the copy of a deed, purporting to be executed 
in 1686, granting to William Penn a tract of land beginning 
a little above Trenton and running westward to Wrightstown, 
in Bucks County, thence northwest parallel to the Delaware 
River as far as a man could walk in a day and a half, and 
thence eastward by a line, undetermined in the deed, to the 
Delaware River. This was a common form of deed, and 
where both parties were honest little trouble was likely to 
follow. This walk had never been taken, and in 1737 Thomas 
Penn, in order to gain title to the lands, produced what 
purported to be a copy of the above-named deed.^ 

^ That is, between the Dchiwarc and Lehigh Rivers, where Easton now is. 
"^ The paper was unsigned, there were blanks in the text, and there was no 
record of any such document. 



POLITICAL AND COLONIAL PROBLEMS 91 

The Indians agreed to the terms and everything was made 
ready for the walk; the route was surveyed, a path cleared, 
and the swiftest walkers advertised for, food was placed along 
the route, and everything done to enable the men to make 
the best time possible. The Indians had expected that the 
leisurely methods of William Penn would be followed, and 
that the walk would not extend more than about forty miles. 




AIap Showing Purchases of Land prom the Indians 

When they saw the pace which the whites were making, the 
Indian walkers stopped in disgust, saying, ''No sit down 
to smoke, no shoot squirrel, but run, run all day." At 
noon the second day the two white walkers, for one had 
fallen by the way, reached a place more than sixty miles 
from the starting point. But this was only the least part 
of the fraud, for instead of running the line directly to 
the Delaware River, it was run northeasterly to the river, 
and included all the best lands of the Minisinks.' 

^ Possibly 50,000 acres were added I)\' this method. 



92 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The Indians refused to give up the land and stayed where 
they were.^ The proprietaries shrewdly applied to the Six 
Nations, who claimed the Delawares as their subjects. The 
matter was decided in a conference held in Philadelphia 
in 1742, when a large number of the chiefs of the various 
tribes were present. The chiefs of the Six Nations were finely 
treated, and gave judgment in favor of the proprietaries, 
and in the harshest and most contemptuous way they ordered 
the Delawares to give up their lands. The Delawares had 
no choice but to obey. But the time came when they sav- 
agely revenged their wrongs upon the whites. ^ 

James Logan, Acting Governor. — On the death of Gov- 
ernor Gordon in 1736, James Logan, as president of the 
council, became acting governor. As it was held that only 
a governor could sign bills, Httle was done until the appoint- 
ment of another governor. 

During the two years in which affairs were in this condition 
there was considerable trouble along the boundary hne be- 
tween Maryland and Pennsylvania. No one living in the 
disputed territory could be sure in which province he ought 
to pay taxes. Besides this, there was between 1732 and 1737 
a conflict between the Pennsylvanians and Marylanders for 
possession of the country west of the Susquehanna and 
north of the fortieth parallel of latitude. A small war was 
waged between the settlers, in which some incidents were 
tragic and others bordered on the comic. 

^ After every allowance has been made, there seems no doubt that it was a 
fraud on the Indians purposely committed. 

2 The Quakers perhaps without exception supported the side of the Indians, 
so did Franklin indirectly; and Charles Thomson, later the secretary of the 
Continental Congress, published in London (1759) a book on the general sub- 
ject of the alienation of the Delaware and Shawnee Indians, in which he also 
takes their side. 



POLITICAL AND COLONIAL PROBLEMS 93 

Governor George Thomas. — George Thomas, who had 
been a West Indian planter, was appointed governor in 1738. 
The former party feeHng had greatly subsided under the 
administrations of Keith and of Gordon. The Quakers 
w^ere now in a decided minority of the population, but, 
largely through the German vote, were in the majority in 
the Assembly. Had Governor Thomas possessed tact, and 
been less hasty in temper, the peaceful situation might have 
continued longer. 

The Assembly and Military Appropriations. — England 
declared war against Spain in 1739, and Governor Thomas, 
before hostilities had broken out, sent a message to the 
Assembly asking for an appropriation for the defense of the 
colony. The Assembly felt just as its predecessors had done 
regarding war and warlike measures, and dechned to make 
any grant for the purpose. At the same time it was sug- 
gested that the governor had the power to raise a volunteer 
militia. The governor instead of falling in wdth this sug- 
gestion entered into a long discussion with the Assembly, 
w^hich finally adjourned without granting his request. 

The governor then raised a body of troops, many of whom 
were indentured servants. This action brought in new diffi- 
culties, for these were men who in order to come to Pennsyl- 
vania had sold their time and labor to repay the expense of 
their passage. By enhsting they escaped payment of these 
rightful dues. The Assembly when it next met voted £3000 
"for the King's use" provided these servants were dis- 
missed from the militia and no more were enlisted. The 
governor angrily vetoed the bill. 

Quarrels of the Governor and the Assembly; Riots. — 
The next Asseml^ly voted £2500 to pay the masters for the 
loss of their servants. Peace was declared, and had Gov- 



94 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

ernor Thomas been wise he would have dropped the whole 
matter, but he had written an angry letter to Thomas Penn, 
denouncing the Quakers. The London agent of the colony 
securing a copy of the letter sent it to the Assembly. This 
letter in addition to the sharp quarrel between the gov- 
ernor and the Assembly which was still going on, created 
great excitement, and roused much party feeling, which 
continued down to the Revolution. The country people as 
a whole supported the Assembly, and Philadelphia, where 
the Quakers were in a minority, supported the "gentleman's 
party," as it was termed. The result was that at the elec- 
tion in 1742 there was a great riot in Philadelphia. The 
Germans came in large numbers to support the Assembly 
and the governor's party brought seventy sailors from the 
ships in the river. A fight took place in which fifty of 
the sailors were arrested and put into jail. At the elec- 
tion the Assembly party was overwhelmingly successful, and 
all the old members were re-elected. The leader of the 
popular party was Isaac Norris,^ son of WilHam Penn's friend 
of the same name, and from this time he became one of 
the most prominent men in Pennsylvania. 

Appropriations for Military Supplies. — In 1744 England 
declared war with France ^ and again the question of de- 
fence came up. The governor had learned something by this 
time and managed affairs much better. He raised 10,000 
men with the aid of Franklin, who sympathised with the 
popular party in most things and with the governor in the 
matter of defence. James Logan, though a Quaker, believed 
in defensive war, and supported the governor. 

^ He was also grandson of Thomas Lloyd, and he married Sarah Logan, 
daughter of James Logan. 

2 This is often called King George's War. It lasted four years 1 744-1 748. 



POLITICAL AND COLONIAL PROBLEMS 



95 



The English having determined to send an expedition 
against the French stronghold of Louisburg, Cape Breton, all 
the colonies were called upon to contribute to the expenses. 
The governor was compelled to ask the Assembly for an appro- 
priation. The Assembly followed the example of 171 1 and 
made an appropriation of £4000 to be expended in the pur- 
chase of "bread, beef, pork, flour, wheat, or other grain, 



NuM 108^ 




The AMERICAN 
WEEKLY M ERCUR r. 

Froro Thurfday OUober 2, to Thurfday Oclober<)y 1740. 



Reduced Facsimile of the Heading of an Early Issue 
OF THE First Newspaper in Philadelphia 



within this province, and to be shipped from hence for the 
King's service." Franklin tells us that the governor under- 
stood "other grain" to be gunpowder. 

Owing to ill health Governor Thomas resigned in 1746 
and the province was without a deputy or lieutenant- 
governor for nearly three years. 

There had been many troubles with the Indians in late 
years, but in various ways they had been settled. Many of 
them had been due to drunkenness both of whites and 
Indians or to local causes, but there had arisen among the 
tribes a very general feeling of hatred against the English, 
the Quakers excepted. This feeling was partly due to the 
"Walking Purchase" and other negotiations, which the 



96 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Indians felt were unjustly carried on, and partly to the 
accumulation of petty acts of injustice or cruelty. 

Value of Indian Allies. — This was the period of the struggle 
between the EngHsh and the French for the control of North 
America. Between the French settlements along the St. 
Lawrence River and in the Mississippi Valley, and the Eng- 
Hsh settlements on the Atlantic coast and westward, there 
was a large unsettled country occupied by Indians. Whoever 
gained these as alhes would have a great advantage. The 
French were quick to see this and bent their energies to make 
friends of these Indians. In this effort they were very 
successful, and the EngHsh found that in order to hold any of 
the Indians large presents must be made. This was a heavy 
expense and the proprietaries declined to pay their share, 
though it was their duty to do so, being large owners of the 
soil. The result was an increase of ill feeling between the 
colonists and proprietaries. 

Frontier Conflicts ; Albany Congress, 1754. — Notwith- 
standing that peace had been made in 1748, conditions along 
the frontier continued much the same. The French claimed 
that the whole Ohio VaUey belonged to them and proceeded to 
enforce this claim by erecting a chain of forts reaching from 
Canada to New Orleans. The carrying out of this plan 
involved trespass on the country claimed by Virginia, and led 
to the expedition, headed by George Washington, in 17 53-1 754, 
to ascertain the exact condition of affairs.^ The knowledge 
gained helped to bring about a conference of representatives of 
all the colonies at Albany in 1754. In this Pennsylvania was 
represented by Isaac Norris and Benjamin FrankHn on the part 
of the Assembly and by John Penn and Robert Peters on behalf 

^Washington's report led to another expedition in 1754, when Washing- 
ton was compelled to surrender. 



POLITICAL AND COLONIAL PROBLEMS 97 

of the governor. One result of the conference was a treaty 
with the Iroquois. Another was a Plan of Union of all the 
colonies for their common benefit, which was proposed by 
Benjamin Franklin, and was adopted by the delegates; but 
it was refused by the crown because it gave too much power 
to the colonies, and by the colonies because it gave too much 
power to the crown. 

Purchases of Indian Lands; Indians Defiant. — While 
at Albany, the Pennsylvania commissioners on behalf of the 
proprietaries bought from the Iroquois for £400 all of what 
is now western Pennsylvania south and west of a line from 
Shamokin to Lake Erie. Whether the 
stories charging fraud and deception in the 
purchase are true or not, it is certain 
that the Indians of Pennsylvania were 
angry when they found that their whole 
domain had been sold without consulta- 
tion with them or without benefit to them. 
It was the last blow. As a result they 
defied the Iroquois, attached themselves 
to the French, and only waited an op- ^'" 

portunity to wreak vengeance on those ^^MoNuiffiNT^^ 
who had wronged them. 

The Results of Quaker Indian Policy. — There can be no 
doubt whatever that had the sons of Penn followed the just 
and peaceful poHcy of their father, the Pennsylvania natives 
would have been true to them, and the French would have 
sought their aUiance in vain. A striking evidence of this 
is the fact that in the future wars and raids no Quaker was 
knowingly disturbed, though others around them suffered 
all the horrors of an Indian attack. It also shows that it 
was not fear of the Iroquois, or cowardice, but just treatment 




98 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



that gave Pennsylvania a peaceful frontier from 1682 to 

1755- 
Fort Duquesne. — The English, recognizing the importance 

of the place, had in 1753 erected a small fort or stockade 

near the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. 

The French, also perfectly aware of the advantages of the 

spot, not long after drove the English away, and erected a 

fort there which they called Fort Duquesne. Benjamin 

Franklin printed an account of this incident, and at the end 

added his famous design of a rattlesnake cut into pieces with 

the motto "Join or die," this being a graphic way of urging 

the colonies to unite for their common interests.^ 

^ This device was used several times in the history of the colonies. 




Device Printed in Franklin's 
"Pennsylvania Gazette," 1754 



CHAPTER X 

COLONIAL WARS 

Death of James Logan, 1751. — In 1751 James Logan, 
the most respected man in Pennsylvania, who had retired 
from active Hfe some years before, died at the age of eighty- 
seven. He left to the city his valuable library of about three 
thousand volumes. It is now under the care of the Library 
Company of Philadelphia. His handsome residence, ^'Sten- 
ton" (built in 1728), still attests his style of living and excel- 
lent taste. He was always a warm friend of the Indians, 
and many conferences and entertainments were held in the 
grounds around his house. 

The Assembly and Proprietaries. — The Assembly and the 
governor continued to have many disputes. The Assembly 
advocated a larger issue of paper money, but the governor, 
privately instructed by the proprietaries, vetoed all bills 
providing for issues of paper currency. Again, the proprie- 
taries claimed that the governor should have a voice in 
disbursing all money raised. This claim the Assembly refused 
to allow, asserting that the representatives of the people 
should have control of appropriating and spending the funds 
raised by taxation. Hamilton, weary of the situation in which 
he was placed, resigned in 1754, and was succeeded by 
Robert Hunter Morris. He had the same difficulties with 
the Assembly as his predecessor, the result being that nothing 
was done in the way of defense against the threatening 
French, or their Indian allies. 



loo HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

French and Indian War, 1754. — War between the Eng- 
lish and the French broke again out in 1754. Previously 
colonial wars had begun in Europe; this time the first out- 
break was in America. In order to be ready for the inevitable 
conflict, the British government had sent out troops under 
the command of General Edward Braddock. Unfortunately 
he was ignorant of conditions in America and of the Indian 
methods of warfare. 

The Pennsylvania Assembly, though refusing to pass money 
bills, voted provisions for the troops. Franklin, on his own 
credit, collected wagons and pack horses. At length, moved 
by the danger, the Assembly issued notes amounting to 
£15,000, a large portion of which was for provisioning the 
troops. 

Braddock's Defeat; Indian Ravages. — Braddock set out 
from Alexandria, Virginia, April 8, 1755, and it was not until 
July 8 that he reached the neighborhood of Fort Duquesne. 
The fatal battle followed. So great consternation succeeded 
the unlooked-for disaster that "Braddock's Defeat" is one 
of the best known incidents in American colonial history. 

The frontier was left unprotected. Under the guidance of 
French leaders, as well as spurred on by the remembrance 
of their own wrongs, the Indians pitilessly wreaked ven- 
geance on the whites. They systematically ravaged not 
only the western border of Pennsylvania, but the whole 
frontier of the British colonies. In Pennsylvania the Indians 
came through the gaps in the mountains and encamped on 
the Susquehanna about thirty miles above John Harris's 
ferry (Harrisburg) and from that point ravaged Cumberland, 
Lancaster, Berks, and Northampton counties, and came to 
within fifty miles of Philadelphia. Some Indians, converted 
to Christianity by the Moravians, were massacred at Gnaden- 



COLONIAL WARS 



lOI 




I02 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



hutten for their fidelity to the whites. The Delawares visited 
their old hunting grounds at "the forks of the Delaware," 
and terribly revenged themselves for the "Walking Pur- 
chase" and other frauds.^ 








Home of John Harris at Harris's Ferry 
The house was built before 1720 

Appropriations for Military Defense. — Those who es- 
caped the Indians fled eastward begging for aid. The As- 
sembly at once appropriated £50,000 for the King's use, 
and voted to raise it by taxing all estates, real and per- 
sonal, throughout the province, including the estates of 
the proprietaries, which had become extremely valuable. 
The governor would not agree to this bill, claiming the pro- 
prietary estates should be excepted. In vain the Assembly 
ofTered to tax only the private estates of the Penns. A 
new election took place, and notwithstanding the greatest 

^ It is said that among those who were murdered were several members of 
the family of William Marshall, one of Thomas Penn's swift walkers. 



COLONIAL WARS 



03 



efforts of the go\ernor's party, the popular party carried the 
day. Two- thirds of the new Assembly w<.Te Quakers, and 
the other ten members, including Franklin, were in general 
sympathy with them, except in regard to military measures. 
A new bill granting £60,000 for the King's use was passed. 
This was similar to the other bill except 
that it stated that if the proprietary 
estates were declared exempt by law 
the taxes collected from them w^ould 
be refunded. So great was the con- 
demnation of the proprietaries both in 
Pennsylvania and in England, that 
they gave £5,000 for defense. When 
the Assembly heard of this it reduced 
the appropriation by that amount and 
exempted the estates.^ 

The money was chiefly spent in 
erecting a string of forts and block- 
houses from the Delaware River along the Kittatinny or 
Blue Mountains to the Maryland border. Beyond the 
Kittatinny Mountains forts were built at such places as 
seemed best fitted for the purpose of protection.^ 

A Militia Law Passed. — A militia law was also passed for 
those "willing and desirous" of bearing arms. This was 
going further than many of the Quakers approved, yet it 
was not far enough for many persons, for a petition was sent 
to the English Government representing in strong language 
the defenseless state of the province. One method i)r()])osed 




Flag of the Pro\^ince 
OF Pennsylvania 

Designed by Franklin, 1747 



^ Even this was marked by the selfishness of 'Phonias l\-nn, for tiic £sooo 
was to be coUeeted out of the arrears of (|uit-rents due the proprietors, and it 
was a long time before it was all paid. 

^ About one hundred forts and stockades were built. 



I04 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

for keeping out of the Assembly those who objected to war- 
Kke measures was the imposition of a test oath.^ But the 
desired object came about in another way. 

The governor and council in the spring of 1756 issued a 
declaration of war against the Delawares and Shawnees in 
which rewards in money were offered for Indian scalps '' pro- 
duced as evidence of their being killed." ^ This was too 
much for the Quakers in the Assembly. Six resigned, sev- 
eral refused re-election, and four resigned later, leaving only 
twelve. Strong influence from the Friends in England as 
well as at home, was brought to bear on all Friends, discour- 
aging them from holding office. From this time they 
almost disappeared from political life, though they continued 
to exercise much influence. It must be acknowledged that 
their course on the whole was creditable. 

Except in the matter of warlike measures there was little 
change in the Assembly. It advocated the same popular 
measures as before, and under the able leadership of Frank- 
lin, kept up a continual struggle for the preservation and 
extension of popular government. 

Frontier Warfare. — In August, 1756, an expedition of 
provincial troops under Colonel Armstrong surprised the 
Indian village of Kittanning, about thirty miles above Fort 
Duquesne. As the Indians would not surrender, the vil- 
lage was set on fire and most of them wxre either shot or 
burned to death. Large quantities of powder, shot, and 
other warlike stores were captured. 

1 This would bar the Quakers from the assembly altogether. 

^ The notice reads: "For the scalp of every male Indian above the age of 
twelve years, produced as evidence of their being killed, the sum of 130 pieces 
of eight (about $130) . . . for the scalp of every Indian woman ... 50 pieces 
of eight." This offer was to white men not in the pay of the province. To 
those in the pay, and to friendly Indians half as much was offered. 



COLONIAL WARS 



105 



Meanwhile the Quakers had formed the Friendly Asso- 
ciation,^ the purpose of which was to try to restore good 
feeling with the Delawares and Shawnees. The Friends 
expressed their readiness to expend in this work of pacifica- 
tion "more than the heaviest taxes of a war can be expected 







The Old IMill at Bethlehem, Pa. 
Built in 1 75 1, and burned in 1869 

to require." Through their efforts a conference was brought 
about at Easton in 1756. Teedyuscung, a noted chief, 
came, and stamping his foot on the ground, exclaimed, "The 
very ground on which we stand was dishonestly taken from 
us." Yet he became a Christian and used all his efforts 
toward securing peace. 

Christian Frederick Post. — One of the incidents of these 
days was the expedition of Christian Frederick Post, a de- 
voted Moravian missionary, who, in the service of the Friendly 
Association, visited the Indians in Ohio, among whom he 
had lived for several years. He went unarmed, with a price 
on his head offered by the French, and through the confi- 

^ Its full title was, ''The Friendly Association for regaining and preserving 
peace with the Indians by pacific measures." 



io6 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

dence reposed in him by the Indians succeeded in persuad- 
ing them to cease hostihties and take sides with the English. 

Further Quarrels with the Governor. — Governor Morris 
was superseded by WilHam Denny (1756), who was fol- 
lowed by James Hamilton in 1759, but there was httle 
difference in the condition of affairs. 

One reason for the continual trouble between the Assem- 
bly and the lieutenant or deputy governors was the fact 
that they were paid by the Assembly, though they were 
appointed by the proprietaries to represent their interests 
and were bound by their instructions. The consequence 
was that the Assembly withheld the salary when it pleased, 
and the governor had no redress. 

Franklin Sent to England ; Assembly Victorious. — So 
strong was the feeling in the Assembly and in. the popular 
party that in 1757 Isaac Norris and Benjamin Franklin were 
appointed commissioners to carry in person an appeal to the 
government: Norris dechned the appointment and Frankhn 
went alone. Soon after his arrival in England Franklin 
remonstrated with the proprietaries, with the result that 
some time later they wrote a letter to the Assembly reassert- 
ing their rights. In reply to this the Assembly passed a 
tax bill in which the estates of the proprietaries were taxed 
as others. This bill the governor signed on the ground of 
the necessities of the province.^ 

The whole matter now came before the Privy Council in 
England. After hearing Frankhn, who conducted the popular 
side with great skill, and the proprietaries, the council decided 
against the latter, Franklin having agreed, on behalf of the 

1 The true reason being that the Assembly voted to allow him £1500 for 
his support, it being understood he would sign the bill. At the present day 
this would be called "graft." 



COLONIAL WARS icy 

Assembly, that the taxation should be fair and just, and that 
the governor's consent should be needful for the spending 
of money raised. It was a great victory for the Assembly.^ 

In ASSEMBLY e:^^^-^^ 175^ 

THIS is to certify, that (:^-^^a^^'?-u^ S^^^%^^^ 
has attended as a Member of Auembly for the'^BH^r 
Civj of ^^^i^J^^^^^ -^ /t^8 Days, at Six Shil- 
lings per Dietfty for which there is due to hmi the Sum of 

Signed^ by Order of the Houfey 
^^Trcafurer of the County of(^W^^^^^;^-<^^5tf 







Facsimile of Franklin's Certificate as a Member of Assembly 

Many historians comment severely on the Penns}-lvania 
Assembly for giving so little financial assistance for the pur- 
pose of defense, and spending its time in wrangling with 
the proprietaries. The charge, though often repeated, is 

1 It was while Franklin was in England (1759) that he inspired and partly 
wrote a small book called Historical Review of Pennsylvania. It is a partisan, 
political work, written for a special purpose, but has again and again been 
aj)pealed to as an authority, thereby perpetuating many wrong or one-sided 
statements. 



io8 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

an unjust one/ and the fact that important principles were 
at stake is overlooked. While some blame is doubtless 
proper, its course was rather deserving of credit. Franklin 
expressed the truer view when he said, "Those who would 
give up essential liberty to purchase a Httle temporary safety, 
deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." 

Western Expedition of General Forbes; Fort Pitt. — 
English successes on and near Lake Ontario had cut off French 
supphes from Fort Duquesne, and the time being thought 
favorable, an expedition under General John Forbes ^ was 
sent in 1758 to reduce it. George Washington was one of 
his aides, and also Henry Bouquet, a Swiss ofhcer. Forbes 
soon fell ill and during the rest of the campaign was carried 
in a Utter. He was a very different man from Braddock, 
and exercised the greatest caution. He endeavored to secure 
the Indians as alHes, and though not very successful in 
Pennsylvania, the Ohio Indians were detached from the 
French through the aid of the mission of Christian Fred- 
erick Post. A small force sent forward under a Major 
Grant was surprised near Fort Duquesne and cut to pieces, 
but this was the only disaster. Forbes reached Loyalhanna 
in November, and hearing that the French were short of 
supphes and practically defenseless, pushed on, but before 
his advance company reached Fort Duquesne the sound 
of a heavy explosion was heard. The French had blown 
up their fort and had fled. Forbes took possession of the 
ruins and named the place Fort Pitt, in honor of William 
Pitt, the great Englishman, who was directing the affairs 
of the British empire. From this the name Pittsburgh 

1 As a matter of fact "between 1755 and 1766 the Assembly granted nearly 
£600,000 for military purposes." 

- He is sometimes called Joseph Forbes. 



COLONIAL WARS 



1 09 



comes.'' Forbes returned to Philadelphia and died in the 
spring of 1759. The capture of Quebec by Wolfe in 1759, 
and the subsequent success of the English, put an end to 




Outline of Fort Pitt, 1766 

The position and shape of Fort Duquesne are shown by the dotted 
outh'ne at the left. The size of the first Fort Pitt is shown by the dotted 
outline in the lower center. The original of this map is preserved in 
the British Museum 

the French empire in America in 1760, though the treaty of 
peace was not signed until 1763. 

Conspiracy of Pontiac. — The French were now no longer 
to be feared, and the EngUsh colonists felt at ease. But a 
new danger came upon them. The Algonkin Indians had 
from the early days been close allies of the French, and foes 
of the Enghsh. The Algonkin tribes were greatly disturbed 
at the English success. The French were chiefly traders, 
but the English were settlers as well, which meant permanent 
^ The first town of Pittsburgh was laid out in 1700. 



no 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



jj?^jfif??:a^ 



occupation of the Indian territories. Pontiac, an Ottawa 
chief, who had been an ally of the French, realized the 
situation, and believed that if the Indians could be united 
the English might be driven back. By his extraordinary 
abihty he persuaded a number of tribes to unite and make 
a determined effort (1763). Many English posts were 

surprised and captured, 
and it seemed as if all 
the f ron tier would 
again be exposed to 
the horrors of Indian 
attacks. The blow fell 
heavily on the Penn- 
sylvania border. With 
the exception of some 
forts, practically all 
^; Pennsylvania west of 
the Susquehanna was 
abandoned by the set- 
Bouquet's Block House, Pittsburgh tiers who fled east- 

Built in 1764; restored by the TTrovrl 

Pittsburgh, D. A. R. ^^^^• 

Bouquet's Expedi- 
tion. — Fort Pitt held out, though closely besieged, but it 
might fall at any moment. A relief force was sent out 
under Colonel Bouquet, who had been one of the aides of 
General Forbes. The Httle body reached a point about 
twenty-five miles from Fort Pitt, and narrowly escaped 
Braddock's fate. But Bouquet was a better officer and the 
threatened defeat was changed into a victory. Fort Pitt 
was reheved, and for a time the frontier was safe.^ 

1 Pontiac was unable to keep the tribes together, and the conspiracy failed. 
He himself was assassinated by a fellow Indian in 1769. 




COLONIAL WARS iii 

Governor John Penn. — John Penn, the proprietary, was 
appointed governor in 1763. With the exception of a short 
period (1771-1773) he remained in office until 1776, when 
Pennsylvania joined in the Declaration of Indei)endence. 
He was greeted on his appointment with many congratula- 
tions, for there was still a feeling of loyalty to any one bear- 
ing the name of Penn, but it cannot be said that he in any 
degree checked the growing feehng against a proprietary 
government.^ 

The "Paxton Boys'" Outrage at Conestoga. — During 
the first year of his administration the outrage of the 
''Paxton Boys"^ took place. 

The effect of the Indian outbreak and the ravages which 
followed was to arouse an implacable feeling of revenge in 
the minds of the frontiersmen. Many of them were Scotch- 
Irishmen, easily aroused and eager to retaliate for wrongs, 
real or fancied. The accounts which have come down to us 
of the tragedies which took place are so full of personal 
feeling that it is hard to discover the exact facts. However, 
it seems clear that whatever wrongs and cruelties may have 
been received at the hands of some Indians, these wrongs 
were cruelly avenged on many wholly innocent persons. 

There was a remnant of a tribe of Conestoga Indians at 
Conestoga, only twenty in all, including women and chil- 
dren. They supported themselves by making brooms and 
baskets for sale to the white settlers. It is quite likely that 

^ John Penn (governor and i)roi)riclary) was the eldest son of Riihard 
Penn, third son of William Penn and Hannah Callowhill; he was born in 1729 
and died in 1796. He left no children. He was thirty-four years old when 
appointed governor. 

- This is more correctly Paxtang, and is fre(|uentl>- so written. Pa.xton or 
Paxtang township was in the upper |)art of what was then Lancaster County. 
Harnsburg was the center of the district. 



112 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

some of them were not very good characters, and it is pos- 
sible, though it was never proved, that one of them had com- 
mitted murder. But the fact that they were Indians was 
enough to make some fifty men, "Paxton Boys," fall upon 
them when most of the men were away, burn their huts, and 
kill all they could find — three men, two women, and a boy. 
The other Conestogas, who were absent from the village, 
were taken by the Sheriff of Lancaster County and lodged 
for safety in Lancaster jail. A fortnight later the same party 
of "Paxton Boys" rode without disguise in the daytime into 
Lancaster, broke open the jail, and murdered with their 
hatchets the remaining fourteen, including women and 
children. The excitement was intense. Though Governor 
Penn issued proclamations calling upon the magistrates to 
arrest the murderers, the magistrates dared not issue war- 
rants for their arrest, though the culprits were well known. 
No legal action was ever taken, for their neighbors justified 
and supported the actors in the tragedy. 

Moravian Indians. — Shortly before this about one hun- 
dred and fifty Christian Indians,^ converted by the Mora- 
vians, were brought from the Lehigh region to Philadelphia 
for safety. Their lives had been threatened by the whites, 
who would make no distinction between friendly and hos- 
tile natives, but were determined, as far as lay in their power, 
to exterminate the race. The women, children, and sick were 
transported in wagons, and it is related that as they passed 
along "curses came from nearly every hamlet, travellers 
greeted them with imprecations, and in Germantown only 
a heavy rain saved them from a gathering mob." They were 
housed on Province Island. 

^ They were Delawares, Shawnees, and of other tribes. It is possible also 
that there was some fear that they would join the hostile Indians. 



COLONIAL WARS 



113 



Philadelphia Threatened. — It was rumored that the " Pax- 
ton Boys" were coming to Philadelphia to repeat their action 
at Lancaster. It was determined to send the Indians to 
New York so they could be under the protection of Sir Wil- 
Ham Johnson among the Six Nations. But when, under a 
military escort, they reached Amboy, Governor Golden of 
New York refused to allow them to enter his province, so 
the unhappy fugitives were compelled to return to Phila- 



V^^^St;. t^ 








The Association Battery, Philadelphia 

delphia. They were given quarters in barracks, and their 
needs wTre supplied by the Quakers. 

The news of the return of the Indians convinced the "Pax- 
ton Boys" that they could repeat the scene of Lancaster. A 
body of two hundred or more frontiersmen started for Phil- 
adelphia. Rumor magnified their numbers four or five times, 
and the Philadelphians were greatly alarmed. At the re- 
quest of Governor Penn the Assembly passed a Riot Act. The 
people were called upon to take arms, and extensive prepara- 
tions were made for defence. The court house and other public 
buildings were opened for the benefit of the volunteers, and 
even the great Friends' meeting-house was made use of. 
Several alarms were given, but the enemy did not appear. 



114 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Heavy rains had so swollen the Schuylkill River that the 
attacking party could not get across, and so went up the 
river to Swedes' Ford, and approached Philadelphia by way 
of Germantown. It was soon seen that there were about 
only two hundred men in the party. Governor Penn sent 
Franklin and others to meet the men and learn their inten- 
tions. The men were not so eager to carry out their plan 
as they had been, and they were soon persuaded to disperse, 
Franklin agreeing that unarmed representatives should 
enter the city and point out the alleged murderers among 
the Indians. This agreement was carried out, but no Indian 
could be identified. A well-arranged paper was presented, 
setting forth various grievances of the frontiersmen, and 
charging that there would be no safety for the border 
settlements if Indians were allowed near or in them, for 
all Indians were perfidious. They also complained that 
the reward for scalps had been withdrawn. 

The poor Indians had suffered much. Smallpox and dysen- 
tery broke out among them and fifty-six out of one hundred 
and fifty died. Peace having been restored, the remnant 
returned to the Lehigh region in 1765. 

Efforts to make Pennsylvania a Crown Colony. — The 
disputes between the Assembly and the governor continued, 
until the idea of petitioning the government to make Penn- 
sylvania a crown colony gained headway, and the Assembly 
issued an address to the people setting forth the evils of ex- 
isting conditions. When the Assembly met after an adjourn- 
ment, believing that the act would be supported by pubHc 
opinion, it issued an address to the king reciting the course 
of evils, and begging him to pay the proprietaries for any loss 
they might sustain, and resume the government. 

The pubHcation of the address had a rather curious efi'ect. 



COLONIAL WARS 



115 



The Presbyterians opposed the petition, for, being respon- 
sible for many of the late disorders in the proxinee, they 
feared that their present freedom might be restrained; the 
Episcopalians also opposed it, because the proprietaries, now 
members of the Church of England, were friendly to them; 
the Quakers and Germans were divided, the greater part 
supporting the petition, while others, fearing an established 
church and a new charter, opposed it. 

The issue in the election of 1764 was on this question. 
Though the proprietary party gained slightly, the popular 
party had a two thirds majority in the Assembly. Frank- 
lin was sent to England to lay the 
matter before the British govern- 
ment, but after the heat of the 
election had passed by soberer 
counsels prevailed, and Franklin 
was instructed to move with cau- 
tion, and to take care that none 
of the privileges of the people 
should be lost. 

John Dickinson; Joseph Gallo- 
way. — Two men whose influence 
afterwards was very great came 
into prominence in this political 
contest, — John Dickinson and 
Joseph Galloway. John Dickinson was born in 17:; 2 in 
Maryland, and was taken when a child into Delaware and 
there carefully educated; he studied law^ ten years in I lie 
offices of one of the best lawyers of Philadelphia, and then 
four years in London. He returned to Pennsylvania in 1757 
and very soon took a prominent part. In his clearness of 
view and of statement, he stands next to Franklin. He 




John Dickinson 



ii6 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

came of a Quaker family and always was warmly attached 
to that body, though not technically a member.^ 

He was fully aware of the evils of proprietary rule, yet 
believed that control by the crown might be worse. He 
therefore supported the proprietary side, asking among other 
questions, whether the crown had not supported the proprie- 
taries in their worst acts. The subsequent career of Dick- 
inson will be noticed in succeeding chapters. 

Joseph Galloway, like Dickinson, was a native of Mary- 
land, and came to Philadelphia when quite a young man, 
and successfully practiced law. In the Assembly he led the 
anti-proprietary party and drew up the resolutions referred 
to above. Like Dickinson, he also took an active part in 
the affairs of the province. ^ 

Franklin Presents the Address to the Council. — Frankhn 
found that the proprietaries refused to make any concessions, 
so he presented the address and sundry private petitions before 
the Council in London, by which they were indefinitely post- 
poned.'' The following year (1765) the ministry tried to 
get the proprietaries to surrender the government, but with- 
out avail. Thomas Penn wrote, "I am determined not to 
yield to any offer ... I am not to be frightened into com- 
phance by Mr. Frankhn or any of his tools." And so far as 
the object of Frankhn 's mission was concerned nothing was 
accompHshed, except that the proprietaries instructed Gov- 
ernor Penn to do his best to settle the disputes between the 
factions in Pennsylvania. This was now an easy task, for 

^ It was through his efforts that the Friends' Boarding School in Chester 
County, known as Westtown, was founded in 1794. To this school he and his 
wife gave a considerable sum. 

2 He was afterward speaker of the Assembly, 1 766-1 774. He took the 
royal side in the Revolution, and died in 1803 in England. 

^ The reason was given that the king had not the power to grant the requests. 



COLONIAL WARS 



117 



the passing of the Stamp Act brought before them a new and 
far more important issue than their grievances against the 
proprietary government. 








Franklin's Book Shop 

Next to Christ Church, 
Philadelphia 



CHAPTER XI 
BOUNDARY DISPUTES 

Maryland Boundary; Mason and Dixon. — An agreement 
between the Penns and Charles, the fifth Lord Baltimore, 
concerning the boundary of their provinces had been reached 
in 1732. This was confirmed by the Enghsh Court of Chan- 
cery in 1750; but ten years were to elapse before various 
minor disputes were settled, and three years more before 
actual steps were taken to carry out the agreements and deci- 
sions. On the 15th of November, 1763, two men arrived in 
Pennsylvania whose names in later years were to become 
almost as familiar as any in American history — Charles 
Mason and Jeremiah Dixon. They were the two civil engineers 
who were to run the dividing line between Maryland and 
Pennsylvania. 

Running Mason and Dixon^s Line. — It took a long time 
to draw the circle around New Castle, and determine the 
lines called for by the agreement, but finally the boundary 
fine was fixed at 39° 44' north latitude. The fine was then 
run westward. Every five miles was to be marked with a 
stone having the coat of arms of Penn on one side and that of 
Lord Baltimore on the other. At the end of every mile be- 
tween these stones, smaller stones were to be placed having P 
on one side and M on the other. All these stones came from 
England. This was done for about two hundred and thirty 
miles, then heaps of stones marked the line as far as the sum- 
mit of the AUeghanies, and beyond that point posts were 



BOUNDARY DISPUTES 



119 



used. On account of the fear of the Indians, who objected 
to the work, the hne was not carried farther than about two 
hundred and fifty-seven miles/ and the work of surveying 
w^as not resumed until 1782, when the work was completed 
by other engineers. Thus was settled a controversy which 
had lasted nearly a century. The boundary soon became 
known as Mason 
and Dixon's Line 
and was, for the 
Eastern States until 
the Civil War, the 
division between 
slave and free terri- 
tory. 

Virginia Boun- 
dary. — But this was 
not the only diffi- 
culty in regard to 
boundaries. Vir- 
ginia claimed, un- 
der the indefinite ^^^^ showing Penn Arms Face showing Baltimore Arms 
tf^rmc r>f ht^r rhar PeNNSYLVANIA-MaRYLAND P^IVE-MiLE 

terms 01 ner cnar- Boundary Stone 

ter, much of the 

territory of western Pennsylvania, including the site of 

Pittsburgh. There was considerable trouble between the 

frontiersmen on both sides, and the dispute was not settled 

until 1779. 

It was then agreed that Mason and Dixon's Line should 
be prolonged to the extent of Cwe degrees of longitude froni 

^ Mason and Dixon returned to Philadelphia in 1767, and, receiving an 
honorable discharge, returned to England. The whole transaction cost the 
Penns, between 1760 and 1768, 34,200 pounds Pennsylvania currency. 





120 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



the eastern starting point, and from the end of such Hne a 
meridian line should be drawn due north to the northern 
boundary of Pennsylvania. The survey was made by 
David Rittenhouse in 1784. 

Connecticut Claims. — A more difficult boundary question 
arose in connection with what was known as the Connecticut 
Claims. Like other cases, the trouble was due to the 
lack of accurate geographical knowledge of North Amer- 
ica, and to the vague terms of the charters. Thus the South 




Connecticut Claims 

Sea, or Pacific Ocean, was often made the western boundary 
of a grant of territory.^ This was the case in the charter of 
Connecticut. By reason of this provision she claimed that the 
territory granted her in 1662 extended from the New York 
Hne to the Pacific.^ In accordance with these claims a com- 
pany was formed which proceeded to treat with the Indians for 
the sale of lands in the northern part of Pennsylvania. A pur- 
chase was made in 1754, but as the lands had already been sold 
several times to the Penns the title was not worth much even 
as Indian titles went. Many settlers came from Connecticut 

^ This was so in the charters of Massachusetts, Virginia, the Carolinas, 
and Georgia. 

2 By the treaty of 1 763 the Mississippi River was made the western boundary 
of the British possessions. 



BOUNDARY DISPUTES 



121 







^^^^ :^^^^?r^ —J 



a^ XQt^ ^<^ JU^ -^ '^^ c^^ 





JF^\ '^T?l^<-^ta(7^jCXycD 





f 



'^ 



y 



^.. 



/y /^ ^^y^^e^^ 







\ 




:ehH i/aauhi^iiion \ 



X^^c^^i^^-tAovi.^ 



^\ ^-^(MSti^ 



Indian Receipt ior Ten Thousand Dollars in Payment tor Land Sold 
BY the Representatives of the Six Nations to the Descendants 
OF William Penn in 1769 



122 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

and erected houses and other buildings. The Penns remon- 
strated with the governor of Connecticut but without effect. 

"Penamite and Yankee War"; Settlement of Claims.— 
The land thus taken up by the Connecticut settlers included 
the beautiful and rich valley of thg Wyoming. The old 
Delaware chief, Teedyuscung, who lived in the valley, pro- 
tested against the intrusion. Not long after he was 
burnt to death in his house. This deed, really perpetrated 
by Iroquois, was beheved to have been the work of the 
whites. In 1763 a party of Delawares in revenge attacked 
the white settlements and killed thirty or more of the 
colonists. 

The region was desolate until 1769, when the proprietaries 
leased land to settlers in the disputed territory, provided they 
would defend their holdings. The Connecticut men answered 
this defiance by sending out forty settlers who besieged the 
block-house in which the Pennsylvanians were sheltered. 
The Connecticut men, in their turn, built a fort, called 
the ''Forty Fort." This was successfully attacked by a 
Pennsylvania force under a sheriff, and the defenders taken 
to the Easton jail. But they obtained bail and returned to 
Wyoming. These were typical incidents of a petty warfare 
which lasted for about two years and is known as the 
"Penamite and Yankee War." The Connecticut men soon 
came in large numbers, and in 1771 the Penn party was 
driven out and the Connecticut men had possession. 

Little or no effort was made by the proprietaries to 
enforce their claims until 1775, when Governor Penn sent 
five hundred men to drive out the Connecticut settlers. 
The attempt was unsuccessful, but, as the war of the Revolu- 
tion had begun, more important issues attracted attention. 
The Continental Congress passed resolutions that the quarrel 



BOUNDARY DISPUTES 



1-^3 



should be suspended until the claims could be legally settled. 
The trial came up before the commissioners appointed by 
the Congress and the question was decided in favor of Penn- 
sylvania in 1782.^ This decision, however, did not adjust 
everything, and it was not until 1789 that the Connecticut 
settlers were given titles to their lands on the pa}'ment of 
a small sum per acre. 




~ncC}X 



- r-r^ 




n 






Forty Fort, near Wilkes-Barre 
Built in 1770, and rebuilt in 1777 

New York Boundary. — There was also difficulty with New 
York in adjusting the northern boundary of Pennsylvania. 
At first, owing to the small number of immigrants and the 
wild, unsettled character of much of the country, the location 
of the northern boundary was not a matter of great 
importance, but about 1740 the question began to attract 
attention, and Governor Hamilton in 174^^ claimed territory 



1 This incident is intcrestinf,' as hcinj^ one of the first steps toward the estab- 
lishment of a Supreme Court for the Unitetl States. 



124 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 




which would give Pennsylvania a large part of Western 
New York.^ 

There was considerable discussion, and claims and counter 
claims were made. In 1775 commissioners appointed by 
the governors of both provinces agreed upon a stone on an 

island in the Delaware River 
which should be the starting 
point. In 1785 commissioners 
were appointed to run a bound- 
ary line, but the line was not 
satisfactory, and finally in 1789 
both States agreed upon 42° 
north latitude as the boundary. 
But as this would give Penn- 
sylvania scarcely any coast line 
on Lake Erie, she bought from 
the Indians with the permission 
of Congress all right to the 
small triangle so famihar on the maps of the State, and in 
1 79 1 bought from the United States for about $150,000 the 
national interests in the triangle. This gave Pennsylvania 
as clear and unimpeded a way to the Great Lakes on the 
north as she had to the ocean on the south, thus carrying 
out the purpose of William Penn in the earliest days of the 
province.^ 

^ This claim was based on the clause in Penn's charter giving him three 
degrees of latitude. So little was the geography of America understood even 
in 1743 that Hamilton said that he believed 43° was south of Albany, whereas 
it really is about twenty-five miles north of that city. 

2 The Erie Triangle was claimed both by Massachusetts and New York, 
but was ceded by them in 1 780-1 784 to the United States. 



Fort Le Hoi'j'f 
Erie County. Built in 1796 



CHAPTER XII 

THE STAMP ACT, AND THE EARLY STAGES OF THE 
REVOLUTION 

Growth of Independent Feeling. In the eighteenth 
century and in those preceding it, the general idea was that 
a colony existed chiefly for the benefit of the mother country. 
All legislation relating to colonies was shaped in accord- 
ance with this view, and any action taken in the colonies 
was likely to be, and generally was, suppressed if any injury 
to the mother country was supposed to be threatened. 
England, therefore, in the treatment of her American colonies 
was acting in accordance with the general opinion of the 
time. 

The long distance from England, the difficulty of com- 
munication between the various colonies themselves, the cus- 
tom of having colonial representative assembhes, and the 
frequent necessity of meeting emergencies, all tended to the 
growth of independence of feeling and of action, and to self- 
rehance. The idea of a possible separation from England, 
however, was of slow growth, and had it not been for the ill- 
advised measures of the king and council, and of Parliament, 
it is likely that independence would have been postponed for 
many years. 

Effect of the Navigation Acts. — The old Navigation Acts 
forbade commerce except in English ships from English ports, 
through English hands. This meant that, legally, there 
could be no trade between the West Indies and North Amer- 
ica except from the islands owned by England. 



126 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The chief articles imported from the West Indies were 
sugar and molasses, especially the latter, which was in great 
demand for the manufacture of rum, a product extensively 
used.^ For many years the Navigation Acts were loosely 
enforced, and a vast amount of smuggling was carried on; so 
much so that it was considered an excusable offense, if indeed 
an offense at all. But in 1764 the British ministry resolved 
to impose new taxes upon the colonies and to enforce the 
Navigation Acts. SmuggKng was to be rigidly put down, 
and the officers of the navy were ordered to be on the look- 
out for smugglers. This action threatened with destruction 
the illegal trade of the colonies with the French and Spanish 
West Indies; it fell heaviest on Massachusetts, but Pennsyl- 
vania also suffered severely. The Massachusetts House of 
Representatives in 1764 sent a circular letter to the other 
colonies condemning the action of the British government. 
In response to this the Pennsylvania Assembly adopted 
instructions to be sent to the agent of Pennsylvania in Lon- 
don, directing him to do his best with the ministry and Par- 
liament, "to prevent any such impositions and taxes, or 
any other impositions and taxes on the colonists . . . inas- 
much as they neither are, nor can be represented, under their 
present circumstances in the Legislature."^ 

Taxation of the Colonists ; Stamp Act. — The object of 
imposing taxes was to defray in part the expenses of the late 
war, and to support a standing army for the defense of the 
colonies — both plausible reasons, for the results of the war 
were highly beneficial to the colonists. 

The method chosen to collect the revenue was by means 

^ Sufficient molasses could not be obtained from the English islands. 
2 This is one of the earliest statements of the claim afterwards so often made 
that "taxation without representation" is unjust. 



EARLY STAGES OF THE REVOLUTION 127 

of stamps to be placed upon all legal documents, newspapers, 
almanacs, etc.; hence the act is known as the Stamp Act of 
T765.' The Act attracted comparatively Httle notice in Par- 
liament,- and even Benjamin P>ankhn, though he opposed 
the Act, seems at first to have had no idea of the bitter opi)o- 
sition in America. Indeed, he is said to have obtained for 
one of his friends, John Hughes, the position of stamp dis- 
tributor. 

Opposition to the Stamp Act. — The Act was opposed in 
all the colonies. The Pennsylvania Assembly adopted reso- 
lutions reciting what the province had done in the past in 
the way of contributing to the royal needs, and expressed 
its purpose of continuing the practice, but claimed that the 
people of the province were entitled to all the rights of Eng- 
lishmen, and that one of these essential rights was that they 
should not be taxed except with their own consent. At the 
same time they chose four delegates ^ to a Colonial Congress 
proposed by Massachusetts to consider what action should 
be taken by the colonies in regard to the Stamp Act. 

Stamp Act in Pennsylvania. — The ship bearing the stamps 
and stamped paper, accompanied by a naval vessel, reached 
Gloucester Point in the Delaware in October, 1765. As soon 
as the news reached Philadelphia the flags on the vessels 
at the wharves were put at half-mast, the city bells were 
tolled, and crowds gathered in the streets. At noon a great 
assembly was held near the state house and addresses were 

^ The stamps were impressions on the paper. They varied in vahie from 
a half penny to twelve pounds. 

2 Isaac Barre made the only strong speech against it. His name was per- 
petuated by the grateful Pennsylvanians in the name Wilkes-Barre. 

^ The delegates were Joseph Fox, sj^eaker of the Assembly, John Dickinson, 
George Bryan, and John Morton. 



128 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

made denouncing the act as unconstitutional and void. 
John Hughes, under pressure, agreed not to sell stamps. 
The newspapers printed their own obituary notices, and for 
about six months Httle or no legal business was transacted, 
as stamped paper could not be had, and lawyers doubted 
the validity of unstamped documents. 

As John Hughes declined to receive any stamps or stamped 
paper on the ground that he had not received his commis- 
sion, Governor Penn sent all the stamps on board the naval 
vessel, "there being," he said, "no fort or place of security 
where I could lodge them on the shore." 

The proceedings in Pennsylvania, though determined, 
were much more orderly than in most of the colonies. " Riot- 
ings, window-breakings, house-burnings, and personal indig- 
nities were visited upon the stamp distributors from New 
Hampshire to South Carolina." 

Stamp Act Congress. — The Stamp Act Congress, as it is 
known, met in New York in October (1765) with delegates 
from nine colonies.^ It adopted a petition to the king and 
a memorial to Parliament, mild in tone but clear in express- 
ing the view of the colonists that '' they, in common with other 
Englishmen, enjoy the undoubted right to have no taxes 
imposed upon them but with their own consent, given per- 
sonally or by their representative." As they were only rep- 
resented in their own assemblies the latter had the sole right 
of taxing them. "The Stamp Act Congress was the first 
general assembly to be held by concerted colonial action 
without any prompting from royal officials." 

Non-Importation Agreements. — Another step was the 

^ In Virginia and Norlh Carolina no Assemblies had met since the call for 
a Congress had been issued; New Hampshire and Georgia gave assurance 
that they would join in a petition for the repeal of the Act. 



EARLY STAGES OF THE REVOLUTION 129 

adoption of a Non-Importation Agreement, for it was thought 
that some pressure that would be felt must be applied, and 
the means adopted was to refuse to import or to use English 
goods so long as the Act was in force. It was not long be- 
fore an agreement to this effect was signed by about four 




■HM.-a^), OQii,- 



NUMb 119? 



PENNSYLVANIA JOURNAL, 

AND 

WEEKLY ADVEKTISER. 



EXPIRING: Inik 



R<?Dxrrec:tioiitcLj,7E a^aia. 



□ am lorry to be 
obliged to ac- 
quaint, my rehJ- 
ers that as tbe 
Stamp ^cz :~ 
feared to be obligatory 
upon us after I'ae Jirft cf 
November ensumg (Tlie 
Fatal To-morro'.v), The 
publifherofthis paper, un- 
able to bear the Burthen., 
has thought it expedient 
to flop awhiie, \u order to_ 



deliberate, whether sny 
methods can be ibund to 
e'udo the chamsfor^^ed for 
ua, and efcape the infup- 
portab'e Clavery, which it 
is hoped, tVom the laft 
reprelentatiott now madn 
naamft that act, may be 
eflectad. Mean while I 
muft earneftly ilequeft 
every individual of n\y 
Subfcribers, niAuy ot 
whom have been long bo- 



hmd Hand, that they 
would immediately dif- 
chargo their refpective 
Arrears, that I may be 
able, not only to fupport 
mjlelf danng the Inter- 
val, but be oetter prepar- 
ed to proceed again with 
this Paper wlienever an 
openmg tor tlint purpofe 
appears, which I hope 
will bo foon. 
WILLIAM BRADFORD. 



A Philadelphia Newspaper on the Stamp Act 
A facsimile about one-third the size of the original 



hundred persons, including the most prominent merchants of 
Philadelphia. 

This movement was general throughout the colonies, and 
English trade fell off to such an alarming extent that many 
petitions for the repeal of the Act were presented to Parlia- 
ment by English merchants, manufacturers, and others. 



I30 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Franklin, who was summoned to give evidence before the 
House of Commons, told his examiners that it was hopeless 
to try to enforce the Act; an army could not do it, though it 
might cause a rebelHon. 

Repeal of the Stamp Act. — Moved by these things, and 
by the great influence of Pitt, the Act was repealed in March, 
1766. But it was accompanied by what is known as the 
Declaratory Act, which set forth the claim of Parhament to 
pass laws ''to bind the colonies and peoples of America, sub- 
jects of the crown of Great Britain, in all cases whatsoever." 

The news of the repeal of the Stamp Act was received in all 
the colonies with great rejoicing. At Philadelphia the cap- 
tain of the vessel which brought the news was given a "gold- 
laced cocked-hat"; barrels of beer were placed on tap free 
to the public; a dinner of three hundred plates was given in 
the state house; the king's birthday, which came a few days 
later (June 4), was celebrated by a dinner on the banks of 
the Schuylkill, where "four hundred and thirty persons dined 
at tables fixed in a beautiful grove near the river." 

New Taxes for the Colonies. — In the rejoicing over the 
repeal, the Declaratory Act was overlooked. But Parlia- 
ment soon showed that it meant to exercise the power it 
claimed. New bills injurious to colonial trade and interests 
were passed in a few months.^ One act legalized Writs 
of Assistance,"^ and imposed taxes on "glass, paper, colors, 
and teas." The revenue thus obtained was to be partly 
used in paying the salaries of the colonial governors and judges. 

^ As these were largely planned by Charles Townshend, they are generally 
known as the Townshend Acts. 

2 A "Writ of Assistance" was a warrant, "which allowed the holder to 
search any house or ship, to break down doors, open trunks and boxes, and 
seize goods at will." They were employed in England. 



EARLY STAGES OF THE REVOLUTION 131 

Up to this time the colonial legislatures had paid the salaries, 
but by this law these officers would be independent of the 
people. Again Massachusetts was foremost in resisting. 
She sent a circular letter to the other colonies as in 1764. 

New Non-Importation Agreements. — Pennsylvania re- 
sponded by non-importation and non-consumption agree- 
ments. The Philadelphia merchants now set forth their 
grievances, not only about this taxation, but also con- 
cerning the restrictions upon trade. In accordance with 
these restrictions, that seem so unjust to us, the colonists 
were forbidden to carry wool or woolen goods from one 
colony to another; they were required to take all American 
exports to some British port and reship from there; they 
were required to carry "Portugal and Spanish wines, fruits, 
etc.," first to England, pay a heavy duty on them there 
and then reship them at great expense. Such legislation as 
this helps to explain why there grew up so strong a resent- 
ment against England in the years succeeding the French 
and Indian War (1755-1763). 

Pamphlets and Addresses. — The Pennsylvania Assembly 
issued an address to the king, probably written by John Dick- 
inson, in which was stated in strong but respectful language 
their right as Englishmen to levy their own taxes, and con- 
cluded by saying that if the House of Commons persisted in 
their course, it would leave "the one [the English people] 
in possession of all those rights which are necessary to the 
most perfect poHtical liberty, and the other [the colonists] 
bereaved of that which alone constituted the foundation and 
security of all their other privileges." 

The Farmer's Letters. — It was an age of pamphlet writ- 
ing, and many were written against the British acts and 
principles. The ablest of these were written by John Dickin- 



132 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

son, and were known as A Farmer^ s Letters} They were 
begun in 1768, and had a wide circulation throughout the 
colonies and also in England. They stated in a clear, 
though formal style, the colonial grievances, and, better 
than any other papers, expressed the real feelings and opin- 
ions of the colonists. Dickinson was a true statesman, and 
his words had a powerful influence. Strongly as he felt and 
expressed himself, he was conservative. "The cause of lib- 
erty," he says in one place, "is a cause of too much dignity 
to be sullied by turbulence and tumult. It ought to be 
maintained in a manner suitable to its nature. Those who 
engage in it should breathe a sedate, yet fervent spirit, 
animating them to actions of prudence, justice, modesty, 
bravery, humanity, and magnanimity." ^ 

The Tea Tax. — Again the remonstrances and the non- 
importation agreements had their effects. The English 
took off all taxes except that upon tea (1770). This conces- 
sion induced New York to break the non-importation agree- 
ment, much to the disgust of the Philadelphia merchants. 
Importations after this were generally resumed except in 
the case of tea, which was smuggled in considerable quan- 
tities from Holland. This condition of affairs continued 
until 1773. 

The British East India Company, one of the greatest cor- 
porations of those days, had sustained many losses, partly 
owing to the action of the Americans. It was said to have 
had several milHon pounds of tea in its English warehouses. 
A change in the law provided that the company could ex- 
port its tea to the colonies free of any duty in England. 

^ The actual title is "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania to the inhabi- 
tants of the British Colonies." Philadelphia, 1768. 
2 Letter III. 



^11 




CHRIST CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA 

Erected in 1727 on the site of a smaller church built in 1695. President 

Washington and President Adams each had a pew here, 

and Benjamin Franklin worshipped here. 



EARLY STAGES OF THE REVOLiniON 133 

This would enable the Americans to get their tea actually 
cheaper than the EngUsh, 

The Philadelphia Tea Party. — It was determined to 
send shipments of tea to America, and vessels were sent 
to Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston.^ The 
story of the ''Boston Tea Party'' is well known. In Phila- 
delphia a printed notice w^as given to the Delaware pilots 
telling them that "tar and feathers will be his portion who 
pilots her [the ship] into this l^arbor." The notice sent to 
Captain Ayres of the ship Polly, which had the tea on board, 
was even more definite. "What think you, Captain," they 
say, "of a halter round your neck, ten gallons of liquid tar 
decanted on your pate, with the feathers of a dozen wild 
geese laid over that to enliven your appearance?" A large 
meeting was held in the state house yard and a warning sent 
to the captain not to bring his ship any nearer. The cap- 
tain, leaving his ship some distance down the river, came 
to Philadelphia, and finding the feeling so strong, concluded 
not to attempt to land the tea. The Quaker firm who were 
the consignees advanced him money to purchase ship's 
stores, and he sailed back to England. - 

Closmg of the Port of Boston; Effect on the Colonies. — 
The port of Boston was closed in 1774 by the British govern- 
ment in consequence of the treatment the tea shipments had 
received. The Boston Port Bill was not only to punish 
the Bostonians, but also to frighten the other colonies. The 
act went into effect June i, 1774- The Bostonians at once 
appealed for aid. The answer was prompt and widespread. 
Paul Revere was sent to Philadelphia to beg for help and 

1 No official notice of these shipments was sent out, but it was known that 
they were on the way. 



_fo " 



The amount of tea on board the Polly was " 568 whole and 130 half chests 



134 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



support. Philadelphia sent one thousand barrels of flour. 
Two or more pubHc meetings were held, and a letter of 
sympathy was sent to Boston, upholding colonial rights, 
and expressing the opinion that a general Congress of dele- 
gates from all the colonies should be held in Philadelphia. 

Letters were also sent to 
the southern colonies ad- 
vising a Congress. In July 
the Assembly approved the 
plan and appointed eight 
delegates to a Congress 
representing all the colo- 
nies, to be held at Carpen- 
ters' Hall in Philadelphia.^ 
First Continental Con- 
gress. — This was the first 
Continental Congress, and 
in it were some of the 
ablest men in the colonies, 
among them Samuel and 
John Adams from Massa- 

^ . TT 73 chusetts, John lay from 

Carpenters Hall, Philadelphia, 1774 ' •' . 

New York, Patrick Henry, 
Richard Henry Lee, and George Washington from Virginia, 
the Rutledges and Christopher Gadsden from South Caro- 
lina, and John Dickinson from Pennsylvania. Every colony 
except Georgia was represented. The Congress of fifty- 
three members met September 4, 1774, in Carpenters' Hall, 
and organized by choosing Peyton Randolph of Virginia, 

^ The Pennsylvania delegates were John Dickinson, Thomas Mifflin, Joseph 
Galloway, Samuel Rhoads, Edward Biddle, John Morton, George Ross, and 
Charles Humphreys. 




EARLY STAGES OF THE REVOLUTION 135 



president, and Charles Thomson of Pennsylvania, secre- 
tary. Carpenters' Hall, the brick building in which the Con- 
gress sat, was the official house of the Carpenters' Company, 
which had been organized in 1724. The building was erected 
in 1770. It remains in admirable preservation as a simple 
but handsome example of colonial architecture.^ 

Acts of the Continental Congress. — The Congress sat 
eight weeks and acted with great unanimity. It upheld 
Massachusetts, and adopted non-importation, non-exporta- 
tion, and non-consumption agreements, thus attacking Eng- 
land on the commercial side. It also adopted a declaration 
of rights, stating with admirable clearness and moderation 
the grievances of the colonists; an 
address to the king, one to the 
people of England, one to the 
people of the colonies, and one to 
the people of Canada. There can 
be no doubt that the Congress 
accurately represented the feelings 
of the vast majority of the colo- 
nists everywhere. After providing 
for another Congress to meet in 
May, 1 775, the Congress adjourned. 

Pennsylvania and the Congress; 
Return of Franklin. — The Penn- 
sylvania Assembly unanimously ap- 
proved the proceedings of the Con- 
gress and appointed delegates to the 
Congress to be held in May, 1775. 

Benjamin Franklin returned from England to Philadelphia 

1 The building stands considerably back from Chestnut Street, between 
Third and Fourth Streets. 



ExfraSt of a Letter 
From Philadelphia, 

Iff rGeattemait in thi: City, dated the 6ih in/}. 

^ESTERDAY wning DrFRANKLIN •rriv.d 
I here from London in fu weekj, *hich he left tlw 
»Otl) of March, which has given grcal joy lo ihii town, 
be &JS we have no favouti to cxp<d) from i he Miniflr^, 
nothing but fubnulTron. will fjritfy them, the; expca 
little or no oppofition will be made to iheit troopi, thofe 
that are now corning ar» 'for NrjiTirli, where it ii 
expected they will be recei»ed with cordiality Ai new 
a> wc can learn there are about four tbouCUid froop* 
coming in thu fleet, the men o( war and Cranfporii are 
in a. great meafure loarfeJ wlih dry goods, to fupply 
A*** 7(»rif, and the country round it, igcnt> ar: CoiDing 
Over with them. Dr. FraiUia is highly pleafed to find 
m arming and prrparisg for the worO events, he ibinlu 
roihiiig elfe can fave ui from the mort abjeiH fljvnj aad 
deftruflioh, at the Cime time encouragn us to believe a 

of 

The Miniftry are alarmed at every oppofiti 

Jt e 
favour, every (cticr and every pa[>er 
by them. 

N E f ■ r O P K- 
fiiattl t, JOHN ANDERSON, « BKfaBlllv9)) 

Reduced F.\csimile ok a 
New York Broadside 



fpirited oppoCtion, will be the means of our (aivaTiOB, 

le Miniftry are alarmed at 

again 
lavour, es 
by them. 



op again at every thing which appears the leaft in the(r 
i[>cr (rom'hence^ «ri K«4 



136 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

in May, 1775, and was welcomed with enthusiasm. Each 
poHtical party looked to him for support. But he soon showed 
that his influence would be used on the popular side. 

Meantime Governor Penn had been able to do httle. He 
had been absent in England (1771-1773), during which time 
his younger brother, Richard Penn, took his place. ^ Governor 
John Penn had made little effort to influence or control the 
action of the Assembly, but he told the members that the 
proper way to remonstrate with the home government was 
through a provincial not a continental assembly. This was 
not the view of the Assembly. But the Assembly was too 
conservative for the people, who held a large public meeting 
presided over by Joseph Reed, and enthusiastically approved 
the recommendations of the Continental Congress. 

Concord and Lexington. — The news of the battles of 
Concord and Lexington on the 19th of April, forwarded by 
messengers who rode night and day, reached Philadelphia 
five days later, April 24th. A meeting, said to have 
numbered eight thousand, was held in the state house yard 
and resolved " to associate for the purpose of defending with 
their arms their lives, liberty, and property." The next 
day the enrollment of troops began. Many of the younger 
Quakers joined the ranks. 

Second Continental Congress. — The second Continental 
Congress met on May 10, 1775, in the state house in the 
room which, from the action of this Congress, is known as the 
"independence Chamber." John Hancock of Boston was 
chosen president, and Charles Thomson, secretary.^ Ben- 

^ Richard Penn was much liked by the Pennsylvanians, and to him the 
petition to the king (1775) was intrusted for presentation. 

^ No man of those days was more trusted. The Indians, with whom he 
had much to do, called him "The Man who-tells-the-truth." He was secretary 



EARLY STAGES OF THE REVOLUTION 



137 






jamin Franklin had been chosen a delegate and at once took 
a prominent part. 

George Washington, Commander-in-Chief; FeeUng in 
Pennsylvania. — The most important of the early steps taken 
by the Congress was the acceptance of the militia as a con- 
tinental army, and the appointment of George Washington 
of Virginia as commander-in-chief. Benjamin Franklin was 
appointed postmaster general. These acts were those of 
rebels, though nothing was said of independence. 

Notwithstanding the large and 
enthusiastic meetings counselling 
resistance, there can be little doubt 
that in May, 1775, the feeling of 
the majority in Pennsylvania was 
averse to an appeal to arms. The 
Quakers on principle, and the Ger- 
mans partly from principle, and 
partly, it may be, from indifference, 
both opposed the war. But the 
patriotic leaders, Benjamin Frank- 
lin, Joseph Reed, Thomas MifiEiin, and others, were men of 
great ability and thoroughly in earnest, and they hastened 
the course of events. Through their influence a Committee 
of PubHc Safety was appointed, of which Franklin was 
chosen president. The business of this committee was to 
raise and organize troops, and to take such measures as 
seemed needful to protect the province from danger. 

One of the measures taken was to attempt to require of all 




£'^i\..> 



Seal of Committee of 
Safety 



of the Continental Congress, and of the Constitutional Con\ention. He ac- 
cumulated a large amount of material regarfling the important period in which 
he held so prominent a part. Shortly before his death he destroyed all his 
papers, believing their publication would do more harm than good. 



138 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

adult males military service or a money equivalent. This, 
however, was not passed. But the Quakers and other non- 
lighting sects were advised to give aid when possible. To 
this advice a Hberal response was made in food and clothing 
for the needy in Massachusetts. 

The Quakers also sent a petition reciting their principles 
and their protection under Penn's charters. They also said 
that they beheved a peaceable resistance was the best atti- 
tude to preserve against oppression. This answer was not 
acceptable to the warlike party, who made a vigorous reply. 
Some of the Quakers, especially of the younger members, 
supported the warlike measures, believing that armed re- 
sistance to oppression was right. They were disowned by 
their old associates, and formed an association of their own, 
calling themselves The Free Quakers. They did not attract 
many adherents, and the organization disappeared early in 
the nineteenth century. 

New Government for Pennsylvania. — The Continental 
Congress as early as November, 1775, had advised New 
Hampshire to establish a government of her own, and had 
later given the same advice to other colonies, so the ques- 
tion came up in Pennsylvania. The proprietaries and 
Assembly each thought that there was no need for a new 
government, but those who had responded so enthusiastically 
to the calls from Massachusetts, were sure that anything 
which had a particle of English authority in it must be 
done away with. A public meeting was held May 20, 1776, 
at which it was resolved that the Assembly, as it drew its 
powers from the king and had been chosen for other pur- 
poses, had no authority to form a new government, but 
that a convention chosen by the people should undertake 
the task. 



EARLY STAGES OF THE REVOLUTION 



139 



In spite of much opposition, even from warm supporters 
of the Revolution, who objected to the method as harsh 
and hasty, the plan was rapidly carried out. A provincial 
conference of eighty-seven members was held June i8th in 
Carpenters' Hall, which decided that an election should be 
held July 8th for delegates to a constitutional convention. 







£i U </ \4k I 








Room in which the Declaration of Independence was Signed 

It was provided that any one who wished to vote ''might be 
required to take an oath or affirmation abjuring allegiance 
to King George, and at the same time expressing his willing- 
ness to live peaceable under a free government." 

Declaration of Independence. — But before the conven- 
tion was held national events had moved rapidly, and on 
July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adoj)ted, 
and the United States of America came into being.' 1 1 



^ Contrary to a very common impression, onl>- John Ilamotk. the president, 
and Charles Thomson, the secretary, signed the documeiit at first; the other 
names were added from time to time, most of them on August ji\. 



140 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

was from this action that the name for the historic build- 
ing was gradually changed from "The State House" to 
"Independence Hall." The Declaration was read by John 
Nixon, July 8th, "to a great concourse of people." John 
Adams, who was present, tells us, "Three cheers rended the 
welkin. The battalions paraded on the common, . . . the 
bells rang all day and almost all night, even the chimers of 
Christ Church chimed away." 

There can be no doubt that among the bells rung was that 
great bell of the state house, cast twenty-five years before 
with the prophetic inscription on it, and since known as 
the "Liberty Bell" (see page 86). 

Pennsylvania and Independence. — The seven Pennsyl- 
vania delegates in the Congress were divided in opinion re- 
garding independence. At first the vote stood four to three 
against independence. Franklin voted for independence 
first and last; John Dickinson and James Wilson thought 
the action premature; Thomas Willing and Charles Hum- 
phreys opposed; John Morton and Robert Morris held off. 
On the day the final vote was taken Morton and Wilson were 
brought over, and they and Franklin voted Aye; Willing 
and Humphreys voted No, and Dickinson and Morris stayed 
away, so the Pennsylvania vote stood three to two.^ 

Constitutional Convention. — The election of delegates to 
the State Constitutional Convention took place July 8th, the 
day of the celebration of the Declaration of Independence. As 
a result of the provision requiring of electors an oath or affir- 

^ Before August 2d, when most of the members signed, the Pennsylvania 
delegation had been changed, so the signers then were Robert Morris, Benja- 
min Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, 
George Taylor, James Wilson, and George Ross, five of whom were not members 
of the Congress on July 4th. 



EARLY STAGES OF THE REVOLUTION 141 

mation abjuring allegiance to the king, those who preferred 
the old system took no part in the election, so the new party 
carried the day triumphantly. 

Franklin was chosen president of the convention. He was 
now seventy years old and hale and hearty; indeed, some of 
his most valuable services to his country were yet to come. 
David Rittenhouse, the civil engineer and astronomer, was 
another member, but the convention, as a w^hole, was rather 
lacking in abiHty. From the moment of its organization the 
convention assumed the government, and the Committee 
of Safety came to an end. 

End of the Assembly; the Quaker Influence Ends. — The 
old Assembly met in August, 1776, and again in September, 
but it did not have a quorum. Little was done except to 
register a protest against the revolutionary convention and 
its assumption of power. The Assembly then adjourned and 
never met again. So fell the colonial proprietary government 
of Pennsylvania. With it also fell the Quaker influence in 
politics. Naturally a non-warlike body could have little to 
do in war time, for its members would be distrusted b\- both 
sides. As a matter of fact, the majority of the Quakers 
were strongly opposed to the British exactions, but they 
could not fight. Many of the rich merchants of Philadel- 
phia were opposed to the Revolution, but theirs was a 
passive resistance, and they suffered not a little for their 
opinions, and some were severely persecuted. They remained 
behind after the British troops left Philadelphia, lived down 
the hard feelings against them, and after the Revolution, 
gave their adherence to the new government, but they never 
attempted to influence political feeling. 

The Proprietary Government. The proprietary govern- 
ment had lasted about a centurv. It has much to its credit 



142 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



in spite of much that is petty and short-sighted. No colonial 
Assembly did more for the cause of popular rights than did 
that of Pennsylvania. The yearly elections kept the Assem- 
bly in close touch with the people, and the great prosperity 
of the province indicated a large degree of social order and 
obedience to law. In the trying period succeeding the close 
of the war in 1763 the Assembly had moved with as much 
rapidity as the great body of the people wished, and its over- 
throw was due to the excitement and the warlike spirit of 
the Revolutionary movement. 




Betsy Ross House, Arch 
Street, Philadelphia 

In this house is said to have 
been made the first Ameri- 
can flag 



CHAPTER XIII 

PENNSYLVANIA IN THE REVOLUTION (Continued) 

State Constitution of 1776. — The Constitutional Conven- 
tion was composed almost wholly of men holding extreme 
views, and so the Constitution framed by it remains one 
of the most democratic instruments of government ever 
framed. It provided for a people's rule as nearly as seemed 
possible to devise.^ There was a single legislative house, 
elected annually by all freemen who had paid taxes and who 
were over twenty-one years old. Instead of a governor 
there was a Supreme Executive Council of twelve members, 
one elected by each of the eleven counties and one by the 
city of Philadelphia. This Council appointed the judges 
and all ofhcers not elected by the people. It also per- 
formed most of the duties usually belonging to a governor. 
Its president and vice-president were to be chosen by a joint 
meeting of the Council and Assembly. The president was 
the head of the State, but he had Uttle authority. 

In some respects the provisions of the Constitution were 
deserving of approval. There was to be at least one school 
in every county, supported at the public expense; a belief 
in God and in the inspiration of the Old and New Testa- 
ments was the only rehgious test required of officials; and 

^ It is said that Thomas Paine, who had hitely arrived from I'raiue and 
was filled with the democratic ideas of Rousseau and his school, was largely 
responsible for the document, though he was not a member of ihe coinention. 



144 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

the Constitution authorized the reduction of the number 
of offenses punishable by death. ^ 

There was an attempt at a check on the government in the 
provision for a Council of Censors to be elected every seven 
years, two from each city and county, to hold ofhce for one 
year. The duty of the censors was to see if the Constitu- 
tion had been observed, and that the legislative and executive 
officials had done their duty. The censors also had the 
power to call a convention to propose amendments to the 
Constitution or a revision of it. This Council was chosen 
only once and proved to be of little use except to show the 
defects of the Constitution. It had, moreover, no power to 
enforce anything. 

Though opposed by many of the best citizens, and in spite 
of efforts to change it, this Constitution was in force until 
1790. The first Assembly chosen under the new Constitu- 
tion passed a bill requiring every voter to take an oath or 
affirmation of allegiance to the new Constitution and of 
abjuration from King George III. The Moravians, Dunkers, 
and Mennonites, and most, if not all, of the Quakers refused 
to do this. It was an ill-advised measure, because it drove 
some over to the British side, and also disfranchised many 
of the best citizens of the State. 

Pennsylvania Controlled by the Radical Party. — The 
two great parties were the Constitutionalists, or those who 
supported the new government; and the Anti-Constitutional- 
ists, or Republicans. For the rest of the war, and until after 
the adoption of the new Constitution in 1790, Pennsylvania 
was under the control of the radical party and the political 
conditions in the State were far from satisfactory. 

1 After 1 786 the only crimes punishable with death were treason and murder 
in the lirst degree. This was the provision in Penn's first charter. 



PENNSYLVANIA IN THE REVOLUTION 145 

The Revolution in the Middle Colonies. — The British, 
beheving that the middle colonies offered a more promising 
held for attack, now left Boston and moved southward. The 
campaign which followed belongs to national history. Late 
in 1776 the British determined to capture Philadelphia. It 
was the capital, and was the richest city in the colonies. 
Besides there were believed to be many British sympathizers 
in the city and in Pennsylvania. 

Washington, compelled to leave New York, retreated 
across New Jersey. The Continental Congress fled to Balti- 
more for safety. General Mifflin was sent to Philadelphia 
to try to secure aid. The new Assembly offered rewards 
for enlistments, and succeeded in raising fifteen hundred 
recruits. Then came the surprise of the British at Trenton, 
followed by their retreat to New York. Congress came back 
from Baltimore and the Philadelphians felt more secure. 

Washington was sadly in need of money, but Congress 
could not or would not make the needful efforts to secure 
funds, and so Robert Morris went from house to house, even 
arousing men from their beds, and in this way collected 
$50,000, which was sent to Washington. 

Pennsylvania Campaign. — General Howe had by no 
means given up his plan of seizing Philadelphia. But it 
was not until July, 1777, that he left New York, embarked 
his troops on vessels and sailed southward. He entered 
Chesapeake Bay and landed his troops, August 25th, near 
the head of the bay, at Elkton, Maryland, on the Elk River 
about fifty miles south of Philadelphia. Howe's force was 
about seventeen thousand well trained and well equipped 
men. To meet these Washington had eleven thousand poorly 
equipped men, many of them having had but little training. 

As soon as Washington, who was in New Jersey, learned 



146 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



that Howe had left New York, he marched southward, pass- 
ing through Philadelphia. He was accompanied by the 
Marquis de Lafayette, a young French nobleman who had 
come to give his services in aid of the young republic. 

The Battle of Brandy wine; 
**Paoli Massacre.'* — The 
two armies met September 
II, 1777, at Chadd's Ford on 
the Brandy wine Creek, about 
fifteen miles north of Wil- 
mington, Delaware. It was a 
well-contested though un- 
equal battle. Washington's 
eleven thousand men could 
not be expected to cope with 
Howe's seventeen thousand. 
The Americans were driven 
from the field, but were not 
badly defeated, for it took 
Howe two weeks to march 
over the twenty-six miles to 
Philadelphia. As all the 
boats and bridges on the 
Schuylkill River had been 
removed, Howe was compelled to go up the river as far as 
Swedes' Ford, now Norristown. General Anthony Wayne, 
who was stationed at Paoli with some troops to guard the 
approach to Swedes' Ford, was surprised by Howe at night, 
and about three hundred were put to death with the bayonet, 
the rest escaping. This is known as the " Paoli Massacre." 
A few days later Howe crossed the Schuylkill, and on Sep- 
tember 26th marched into Philadelphia without opposition. 




Court House, York, Pa. 

Occupied by the Continental 
Congress, 17 77-1 7 78 



PENNSYLVANIA IN THE REVOLUTION 147 




Panic in Philadelphia; ''Exiles to Virginia." Ihe news 
of the defeat at Brandywine created a panic in Philadelphia. 
The Continental Congress had left in undignified haste 
on the 19th. John Adams says that the members "were 
alarmed in their beds" by a letter from Mr. Hamilton notify- 
ing them that the 
British might enter 
the city at any time. 
The ofificial papers 
had already been sent 
out of the city and the 
members hastened to 
Trenton, then to Eas- 
ton, Reading, Lan- 
caster and York. The 
State Government 
went to Lancaster. 

Before Congress 
left Philadelphia it 
had advised the 
arrest of leading roy- 
alists, and of any others, who, it was thought, might injure 
the American cause. As a result some forty persons, includ- 
ing Provost Smith of the College (later the University of 
Pennsylvania), were proceeded against. Some of these 
escaped by taking the oath of allegiance or in other ways, 
but twenty-six — seventeen of whom were Quakers — were 
arrested and carried to the Free Masons' lodge. Congress 
suggested that they be sent to Staunton, Mrginia, and after 
several days of disputing, the accused meanwhile sloutl)- and 
steadily maintaining their right to freedom under the law, 
they were arbitrarily banished. They were placed in 



— ■-■< a>g;'y~ ^ — 1 i-i-'- s-r -'■|- 



Court House, Lancaster, Pa. 
Occupied by the State Government, 1777-177; 



148 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

wagons and sent off, under guard, to Reading and were 
treated roughly on the way. They were then carried to. 
Winchester, Virginia, where two of their number died of 
ill-usage and exposure. The harsh treatment given these 
exiles caused a reaction of feeling, and they were allowed 
to return in the spring of 1778. They were given permis- 
sion to pass through the American lines, receiving courteous 
treatment, and so returned to their homes in Philadelphia, 
though the British were in possession.^ The State Council 
dealt with other citizens accused of British sympathies, 
among whom were Governor John Penn, and Benjamin Chew, 
who had been chief-justice. It was proposed to send them 
also to Virginia, but they gave their parole to remain at Union 
Iron Works, New Jersey, and they went there. 

British in Philadelphia ; Germantown. — Although the 
British had taken Philadelphia, Washington's army held the 
surrounding country, thus cutting off the supply of provi- 
sions. Besides this. Forts Mercer and Mifflin below Phila- 
delphia prevented supplies coming from abroad. It was, 
therefore, necessary for the British to take these forts. For 
this cause Howe's forces were divided. Washington, who 
was encamped on Skippack Creek, about fourteen miles from 
Germantown, determined to surprise Howe's troops in that 
village. The attack was made October 4, and was well 
planned, but the morning was foggy and the Americans 
became confused in the fog, mistaking one another for the 
British. A British colonel took possession of the large 
Chew mansion and made a determined stand, which in- 
creased the disorder in the American ranks. Washington 

1 This incident has had its defenders, but no overt act, or anything that 
would encourage the British, was ever proved against the accused. It must 
be regarded as an act not justified even by supposed military necessity. 



PENNSYLVANIA IN rHE REVOLUTION 149 

was unable to collect his forces, and was compelled to 
retreat. 

Washington at White Marsh. — This was the last engage- 
ment near Philadelphia. Howe attempted an attack on 
Washington, who had retired to White Marsh, but linding 








The British Barracks in Philadelphia 

him prepared, retired without a battle. It is said that 
Howe's plan was discussed in the house of William Darragh 
on Second Street, below Spruce, Philadelphia, and the con- 
versation was overheard by his wife, Lydia Darragh, who 
the next morning rode beyond the British lines to get some 
flour. Meeting an American officer she told him what she 
had heard, and he informed Washington. In fact, through 
friends in Philadelphia, W^ashington was kept very well in- 
formed of what was being done in the city. 

The first attack (October 23) on the American forts on 
the Delaware was made against Fort Mercer on the Jersey 
side, and was repulsed with heavy loss of men and the destruc- 
tion of two vessels. Two weeks later Fort Mifllin, on the 
Pennsylvania side, was attacked, and after a few davs the 



ISO 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



garrison was compelled to abandon the fort and the British 
took possession. Shortly after Fort Mercer was also evacu- 
ated, and the river was open to the British. 

Valley Forge. — Late in December, Washington left 
White Marsh and went into winter quarters at Valley Forge 




Valley Forge 

Washington and Lafayette visiting the suffering army 
After the painting by A. Gibert 

on the west bank of the Schuylkill River. Shut in on the 
south and west by high hills, and lying open to the river in 
front, Valley Forge is admirably fitted for the winter quarters 
of a small army, but the name in America has become the 
synonym for suffering. Washington wrote, December 23d, 
that nearly three thousand men were "unfit for duty, because 
they were barefoot and otherwise naked." Supplies of food 
also were scanty. It is to the disgrace of Congress that this 
suffering was chiefly due to its interference with the com- 
missary department, to its own petty squabbles, and to the 



PENNSYLVANIA IN THE REVOLUTION 151 

greed of contractors.^ Had Howe been as well informed of 
Washington's circumstances as Washington was of Howe's, 
it might have gone harder with the Americans. Added to 
the difficulties of Washington was the effort to replace him 
by General Gates, to w^hom the victory at Saratoga had 
given an undeserved reputation.- 

While the American forces were enduring the hardships of 
an unusually cold winter at Valley Forge, Howe, his 
officers, and men were having a gay time in Philadelphia. 
Indeed, the British army w^as so much demoralized by its 
stay in the city that Franklin said it was not so much that 
the British had taken Philadelphia as that Philadelphia had 
taken the British. 

Sufferings of the Prisoners. — Many persons had fled 
from Philadelphia before the British took possession, leaving 
in the city perhaps 24,000 people, the most of whom were 
women and children. General Howe made Joseph Gallo- 
way, who had gone over to the British side, his chief adviser, 
and given him more than one important offlce. There was 
a good deal of suffering among the poor, but the American 
prisoners suffered most of all. Some were confined in the 
state house, some in the Walnut Street prison, and some in 
other buildings. The stories of their sufferings as related in 
contemporary diaries reveals a terrible state of aft"airs. 
The British also complained with reason of the treatment of 
their prisoners by the Americans. Prisoners on both sides 
were cruelly treated. 

^ Some allowance must be made for the clifliculty of transportation. All 
through the Revolution armies suffered from lack of supplies. Valley Forge 
was one of many cases, but it was aggravated by the inefficiency of Congress. 

2 The victory was really due to (ieneral Philip Schu>ler, who was super- 
seded just before the battle. 



152 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Commodore Barry's Exploit; British Gayeties. — Various 
attempts were made by the Americans to injure the British, 
perhaps the most successful of which was that of Commo- 
dore John Barry, who was in command of a war vessel sent 
up the Delaware River to be out of reach of the enemy. He 
manned the ship's boats, slipped past Philadelphia in the 
night, and captured several British vessels loaded with 
military stores.-^ 

Balls, parties, and theatrical performances were given in 
Philadelphia during the winter, and were crowned in the 
spring (1778) by a grand performance, a combination of a 
ball, tournament, and regatta, called the " Mischianza." ^ 
The chief mover in this latter entertainment was Major 
John Andre, whose sad fate two years later is one of the best 
known occurrences of the Revolution. 

British Evacuate Philadelphia. — General Howe was re- 
placed in May, 1778, by Sir Henry Clinton. It was evident 
that the British had gained nothing by the occupation of 
Philadelphia, and it was determined to evacuate the city. 
This decision was almost a necessity, for France had rec- 
ognized the United States and was preparing to give her 
active military and naval assistance. A French fleet might 
blockade the Delaware Bay at any moment and cut off the 
British supplies. 

Early in June, 1778, the evacuation began; the troops, 
including those brought in from the outer lines, embarked 
on transports, some to go to New York by sea, but most of 
them to be ferried across the river to New Jersey, to take up 
the march to New York. The last company of soldiers 
left before noon on June i8th, and the British occupation 

^ A statue in his honor stands in Independence Square, Philadelphia 
2 Taken from an Italian word mcscianza, meaning a medley. 



PENNS'iXVANIA IN THE REVOLUTION i 



,'r''-y&^ 



was at an end. Except at the time of the \Vvomin<; Mas- 
sacre no British troops were in Pennsylvania (hiring the 
rest of the war. 

Philadelphia after Departure of the British. — When the 
Americans entered the city a sad sight was presented to 
their eyes. "The trees were destroyed on all sides; churches 
and public buildings defiled, — they had 
been used as stables for the horses, — fences 
were broken down; houses quite pulled 
down or robbed of their doors, windows, 
roofs, and floors; gardens and orchards were 
trampled upon and ruined. . . . The State 
House was in such a filthy and sordid con- 
dition that Congress, when it returned, was 
obliged to meet in the College Hall." The 
country around Philadelphia, partly from 
the seizures of the Americans, and partly 
by reason of the raids of the Hessians, was 
a waste. 

The departure of the British army brought 
consternation upon the Tories, or British 
sympathizers. All who possibly could do 
so, left with the British troops. The fear of the Tories 
was well founded. When the Americans came into control, 
many Tories were charged with treason and their property 
confiscated. Oaths of allegiance were required of all who 
had not already taken them; fines, imprisonments, and for- 
feiture of property were common. Among the mansions 
confiscated were those of Joseph Galloway, Sixth and 
Market Streets, of the Rawles on the Schuylkill, known as 
"Laurel Hill," and Duche's house at Third and Pine Streets. 
The personal property of Tories was sold at auction. 




" Peggy " Shippex 

With "Mischianza" 
head-dress 



154 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Indeeed, there was a vindictiveness shown against the 
British sympathizers that is by no means creditable. 

Benedict Arnold in Philadelphia. — Washington followed 
the British army into New Jersey, leaving General Benedict 
Arnold in charge of Philadelphia. He was a brave soldier 
who had won a high reputation by his conduct in the Que- 
bec campaign, and at Saratoga, where he had been wounded. 
But he was ill fitted for the position in which he was placed. 
He had luxurious tastes and began to gather money in 
every way he could in order to spend it ostentatiously. He 
married "Peggy" Shippen, one of the belles of the city, and 
lived in a large house on the banks of the Schuylkill. 

He had claims against Congress, but could not get them 
settled, and for this reason turned against the American cause, 
possibly beginning his overtures to the British while still 
in Philadelphia. He became much disliked, and was charged 
by the State government with misuse of funds, and among 
other things with engaging in illicit trade. He was finally 
tried by court-martial and was acquitted of the most serious 
charges, but sentenced to be reprimanded by Washington 
for some of the others. That Washington gave Arnold the 
command of West Point after this indicates that he thought 
the charges light ones. 

Conditions did not improve much in Philadelphia. The 
city was governed by State officials, for there was no city 
government. There were so many disturbances and outrages 
and mobs that military rule seemed a necessity. 

Treatment of British Sympathizers. — Courts were busy 
during most of the summer of 1778 in hearing evidence 
against traitors, and everyone who had in the slightest way 
aided the British or given any information, was held to be a 
traitor. Two cases excited great feeling — those of Abraham 



PENNSYLVANIA IN THE REVOLUTION 



155 



Carlisle and John Roberts. The former had accepted a 
position to grant passes in and out of the British lines; and 
John Roberts had, perhaps unwillingly, acted as guide to 
British foraging parties, and had committed other question- 
able acts. The trial was before Judge McKean. Strenuous 
efforts were made to save them; hundreds of the best citizens 





i i i '^imfi^ i t 



Old College Buildings of University oe Pennsylvania 

testified to their good character, that they had been useful 
citizens, and that large families were dependent upon them. 
All w^as of no avail, they were convicted and condemned 
to be hanged. With the ropes around their necks they rode 
on their coffins in carts to the place of public execution and 
suffered the extreme penalty of the law. Their estates were 
afterward confiscated.^ There can be no question that the 
punishment was wholly out of proportion to the offences, but 
they were ''hung as an example." 

Among other acts of retaliation, the Constitutionalists at- 
tacked the College on the ground that most of its supporters 
had been Tories, and were able in 1779 to j)r()cure the annul- 
ment of its charter. The property was given to a new board 
of trustees, and the institution was called the "University 



^ These were aflerwards restored to their f;iiniHes. 



156 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



of Pennsylvania." The old trustees, however, kept up their 
organization, and there were two nominal colleges until 1791, 
when the college and the university were united under the 
name of the "University of Pennsylvania." 

There was scarcely an institution or interest that did not 
undergo a greater or less upheaval during this unsettled time, 



ONE SIXTH OF 
DOLLAR 

According 
to a Hejolu- 

\tionojQoN~\ 




CRESS, paf\\^ 
''cd at Phi-| \busin 
.^ ladelphia 

^iFebruary 17, 1776 






§One Sixth of a Dollar. 




^Printed by Hall & Sellers, 
^ in Philadelphia. 1776. § 



P^ace 



Back 



Reduced Facsimile of Continental Currency 

which is the least creditable period in the history of the State. 

In addition to other troubles, the condition of the finances 
of the State was deplorable. Continental currency had sunk 
so low in value that prices were absurd. Peas were thirty 
dollars a half -peck, butter eight to twelve dollars a pound, a 
suit of clothes cost $1600. An attempt was made to fix 
the prices of articles, but it was not successful. 

Purchase of Proprietary Interests ; Slavery Abolished. — 
The times and men were not, however, wholly bad, for there 
were some praiseworthy acts. In 1779 the Assembly bought 



PENNSYLVANIA IN THE REVOLUTION 157 

out the interest of the Penns in Pennsylvania for I' 1,^0,000. 
Considering that the Penns were LoyaHsts, and thai all 
their private estates and their manors were excepted, this 
sum might be thought Hberal.^ 

Another act, still more praiseworthy, was that which pro- 
vided for the gradual extinction of slavery in Pennsylvania. 
The m.ovement against this evil began in 1688 with the peti- 
tion of the German Friends against slavery. Though no 
action was taken at the time, there grew up a strong feeling 
in the denomination against slavery, and this was so 
strengthened through the efforts of Anthony Benezet, John 
Woolman, and others, that the Quakers cleared themselves 
of slavery by setting their slaves free and forbidding the hold- 
ing or dealing in them by members of their society. This 
was practically accomphshed by 1777. But though the exam- 
ple of the Quakers must have had considerable effect, they 
had now little or no political influence, so the movement 
in the Council and Assembly cannot be ascribed to them. 

The first effort for emancipation was in 1778, and in 
February, 1779, the Supreme Executive Council sent a 
message to the Assembly saying, "We would again bring 
to your view a plan for the gradual abolition of slavery, so 
disgraceful to any people, and more especiall}' to those who 
have been contending in the great cause of liberty themseh'cs, 
and upon whom Providence has bestowed such eminent 
marks of its favor and protection." In October of the same 
year the matter was taken up in the Assembly by George 
Bryan who, in 1778, had been the moving spirit in the 
Executive Council, and on March i, 1780, a bill was passed 

^ Some of these lands are still in possession of Penn's deseendanls. Besides 
this the British government conferred an annuity of £4000 upon the Penns. 
This was l)rought to an end in 1884 by a payment to the Penn heirs of £67,000. 



158 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

providing that all negro children born after that date should 
be free when they should reach twenty-eight years of age. 
This was the first emancipation bill in America; Massachu- 
setts followed in a few months. 

Wyoming Massacre. — One of the most tragic events of 
the Revolution remains to be noticed. The Connecticut 
settlement in the Wyoming Valley has been described. The 
settlers had responded to the call of Congress for recruits, 
and many men had joined the Continental army, leaving 
the settlements almost defenceless. The British had made 
an alliance with the Six Nations, and it was thought to be a 
favorable time to attack the settlers. A band of whites 
and Seneca Indians, about twelve hundred in number, led by 
Colonel John Butler and Jacob Brant, attacked the settlers 
in Wyoming Valley. Only three hundred old men and boys 
were available for defence and their defeat was inevitable. 
A massacre of men, women, and children followed. Some 
had shut themselves up in the old "Forty Fort," but they 
were compelled to surrender. Every house, barn, and build- 
ing in the valley was burned, and all who were not able to 
escape into the woods were murdered. The cruelty and vin- 
dictiveness of the massacre aroused horror in both America 
and Europe, and did the British cause much harm.^ 

The news of the Wyoming Massacre spread terror all 
along the western frontier, and hundreds fled from their 
wilderness homes to the settled part of the country. Border 
warfare did not cease until 1784. 

Retaliation on the Indians. — Washington felt that a ter- 
rible lesson was needed to prevent similar occurrences in 
the future. In the spring of 1779 he sent General Sullivan 

^ Another massacre almost as terrible took place at Cherry Valley, New 
York. The leader here was another member of the Butler family. 



PENNSYLVANIA IN THE REVOLUTION 



159 



with three thousand men into the Indian territory ''to carry 
war into the heart of the country of the Six Nations, to cut 
off their settlements, destroy their next year's crops, and do 
every other mischief which time and cir- 
cumstances will permit." The country 
was not to be "merely run over, but 
destroyed." Sullivan carried out these 
instructions to the letter, and the Six 
Nations were almost annihilated. 

Peace Rejoicings. — The war came 
practically to an end with the surrender 
of Yorktown, October 19, 1781. The 
news reached Philadelphia early in the 
morning of the 2 2d, by means of an 
express messenger, and was announced 
to the people by a watchman crying out, 
"Past two o'clock and Cornwallis is 
taken." There was great rejoicing in 
Philadelphia; flags were hoisted at the 
state house and other public buildings, 
and on the shipping in the river; at 
noon a salute with cannon was given in the state house 
yard. In the afternoon a religious service was held in the 
Lutheran church, which was attended by the members of 
Congress in a body, and by the ofhcials of government. At 
night an illumination was ordered. The Quakers, who on 
principle could not rejoice at warlike deeds, would not put 
candles in their windows, and in consequence suffered man\' 
indignities. Scarcely a house escaped injury. In one house 
nearly seventy panes of glass were broken, the panels of the 
front door knocked in, and quantities of stones thrown into 
the house. The mob rushed into some houses and forcibly 




Wyoming IV F ass acre 
Monument 

Erected between Wilkes 
Barre and Pittston 



i6o HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

placed candles in the dark windows; in others the tenants 
suffered bodily injuries. These examples show the character 
of the people, and the loose enforcement of the laws. 

Mutiny of Soldiers; they Demand 
Illumination. their Pay. — The soldiers of the Conti- 

CDLo^fEL TiLGHMAN, Aid nental army had been months without 
de Camp to his Excellency r • a i i 

General Washington, having pay and wcrc clamorous lor it. Already 

brought official acounts of the . -^^ , n -r. ^ • . 

SURRENDER of Lord Corn- m December, 1780, Pennsylvania troops 

lyallis, and the Garrifons of • -^^y x 1 j > • • i i t 

York and Gioucefter.thofeciti- m Ncw Jcrscy had mutinied, and, if 

zens who chufe to ILLUMI- ^ i j ^ 1 i ^ 

NATE on the Glorious oc- arrangements had not been made to 

arsr;;:IStdn^rtS pay them, the result might have been 

'''^:::rur:i:6'^n.ouy^ vcry serious. Another incident brought 

Tc^lZ^Tr^c'r^'Z the matter close home to the Conti- 

countenance to the leaft ap. ncutal Cougrcss and to the State 

pearance of not. ^ 

oM,r^^.:s.. government. A number of old Penn- 

Reduced Facsimile of sylvania Continental soldiers were 
gjjjj,^^^'^^^^^^'^ ROAD- g^g^^-JQj^g^j 2^^ Lancaster. The war was 
over and yet they were unpaid. They 
determined to enforce payment, and so about three hundred 
of them marched to Philadelphia, and surrounding the council 
chamber, sent in word that they must have an answer in 
twenty minutes. The Council, however, refused to comply, 
and the body marched round the state house. Congress was 
not in session, but some members soon came together for 
consultation. Through the influence of General Arthur St. 
Clair, active measures were delayed by each party, and the 
men retired to the barracks. Anxious discussions took place 
as to what was best to do. The Council was afraid to call 
out the militia, for most of the people sympathized with the 
men; there were few military stores, and the mutineers had 
control of the State magazine. 

Congress resolved that the authority of the United States 



PENNSYLVANIA IN THE REVOLUTION i6t 

had been "grossly insulted," and also resolved to leave Phil- 
adelphia at once and go to Princeton, New Jersey, which it 
did. It was a final farewell to Philadelphia, for the Conti- 
nental Congress, though invited to do so, never returned to 
the city.^ 

Congress, rather selfishly, left the Council to deal with the 
mutineers. Through the influence and good advice of John 
Dickinson, now president of the State, and General St. Clair, 
the soldiers were persuaded to return to Lancaster. The 
incident no doubt hastened the settlement of Revolutionary 
claims.- 

1 Congress sat at Princeton till November, 1783; then at Annapolis, Mary- 
land, till June, 1784; then at Trenton, N.J., November and December, 1784; 
then at New York from January, 1785, to August, 1790, when it rather igno- 
miniously ceased to exist, no formal adjournment having taken place. 

2 On hearing of the mutiny Washington sent 1500 troops to quell it. but all 
had been settled before the troops arrived. Several of those who had pronyHed 
the mutiny, however, were arrested and sentenced to be shot, but were par- 
doned by Congress when the men were in front of the firing line. 




Continental Soldi ek 



CHAPTER XIV 

AFTER THE REVOLUTION 

Conservative Reaction. — Pennsylvania had been under 
the control of the radical party for a number of years, 
and the people were becoming tired of the experience. The 
change in feeling was shown by the choice of John Dickinson 
for president of the State in 1783 and again in 1784, for he 
was a conservative, moderate man. The feeling against the 
Tories was still strong enough to prevent the removal of the 
test oaths for voters, with the result that about half of 
the voting population, including many of those best quahfied 
to exercise the franchise, were deprived of citizenship. In 
spite of the numerous efforts to bring about repeal, it was 
not until 1789 that the test laws were done away with. 

Robert Morris. — Robert Morris, whose patriotic action 
in raising money for the army after the battle of Trenton 
has been mentioned, through the influence of Washington, 
again came to the aid of the country. Congress in 1781 
appointed him minister of finance. The power of an experi- 
enced man instead of an inefficient committee was soon shown. 
Order came out of confusion and business methods took 
the place of irregularity. It was part of his plan to return 
to coin or specie payments. To aid this and his other 
financial operations, he founded the Bank of North America, 
which was chartered in 1781, first by the Continental Con- 
gress and afterwards by the State. It still exists, and, with 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 163 

the exception of a bank- in Boston, it is the oldest hank in 
the United States. Its career has been a most honoraljle 
one.^ Robert Morris, after rendering his country incal- 
culable benefits, resigned his position in 1784, though he had 
by no means ended his patriotic service. - 

Dickinson College. — In 1783 the Presbyterians, who were 
strongest in the western counties, secured a charter for 
a college in the Cumberland Valley at Carlisle. Dr. Ben- 
jamin Rush, one of the most prominent citizens of Phila- 
delphia, was a great supporter of the project, and John 
Dickinson, the president of the State, though his religious 
sympathies were with the Quakers, not only gave the plan 
his support, but added a liberal financial gift. In his honor 
the college was named Dickinson College. In 1833 the 
institution passed under the control of the Methodists.'^ 

Philadelphia in 1787. — At the close of the Revolution- 
ary War Philadelphia had about 40,000 inhabitants.^ While 
many persons had been ruined by the Revolution, man}- 
had grown rich. Trade was good, and commerce was large. 
During the first half of 1783 two hundred vessels had 
entered the port of Philadelphia, and as many had sailed. 

i When the bank was changed into a national bank under the Federal law, 
it alone of all national banks was allowed to omit the word "National." 

2 Robert Morris, born in 1734, was an Englishman and came to America 
when about fifteen. He entered mercantile life and became very successful. 
At the opening of the Revolution he was one of the wealthy men of the coun- 
try. In addition to other oflices he was a member of the Constitutional 
Convention, and United States Senator. Late in life unfortunate land specula- 
tions involved him in financial ruin, and he died, 1806, a bankrupt. 

3 This came about by the resignation, from time to time, of trustees, and 
the appointment of Methodists, or those in sympathy with them. 

^ When occupied by the British there were only about ^4,000. Many 
refugees returned after the British left. In lyyo, by ihe lirsl Federal i casus, 
Philadelphia had 42,520 inhabitants. 



i64 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



It was the largest and perhaps the handsomest city in 
America. Manasseh Cutler, who visited it in 1787, says: 
"it is large, elegant, and populous. It contains 10,000 
houses and covers twice the quantity of ground to th'at of 
Boston; the State House, hospital, and most of the other 
public buildings are magnificent. . . . The streets . . . 
are well paved and at a distance of ten feet from the house 







r~ 




m 

Wr 






'I 




Old Market Houses on Market Street, Philadelphia 

is a row of posts and in this range of posts are all their pumps. 
. . . The pavements are kept perfectly clean. . . . The 
middle parts of the streets are generally very dirty." 

In 1784 the lower portion of Dock Creek was covered 
over, and the offensive stream was replaced by Dock Street. 
Few of the thousands that now make daily use of the wide 
and winding street know why it does not conform to the gen- 
eral plan of the city. 

A striking feature in Philadelphia was the pubUc market. 
Cutler tells us that the market houses extended from Second 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 



165 



Street up the center of High Street for ''near hah" a mile." 
In them the produce of the country found "crowds of pur- 
chasers." ^ These markets filled so important a place in 
the city hfe that in time the name of the street was changed 
from High to Market. 

Means of Communication Needed ; Harrisburg. — The 
return of peace showed the need of better means of communi- 
action and transportation; and plans for the improvement 
of the old roads and the construction of new^ ones and for 
the making of canals were discussed. Among other matters, 
the Assembly in 1783 con- 
sidered the building of a 
tow^n on the Susquehanna 
River, as a help to trade. 
John Harris, of Harris's 
Ferry, Dauphin County,- 
offered land, which was ac- 
cepted, and in time Harris's 
Ferry was called Harris- 
burg. So excellent was the 
situation that in 1787 the 
Assembly resolved to build 
a state house there, but 
reconsidered the vote. 

The Post Office. — Postal facilities were meagre. Phila- 
delphia received mails from New England and New York 
three times a week, and from Baltimore once a week. The 
post ofhce was at Front and Chestnut Streets. Travellers 
for New York left Philadelphia daily at four o'clock in the 

1 The market houses in Market Street were all removed by 1860. 
^ Dauphin County was established in 1785, and given the name in honor of 
the eldest son of the king of France, whose title was the l)au[)hin. 




Letter-carriijr of the Olden Time 



1 66 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

morning, reaching Newark in the evening, and New York 
by breakfast the next morning. For Baltimore and the 
south the stage left three times a week. 

In 1784 there were four newspapers published in Phil- 
adelphia, the Packet, Evening Post, Freeman's Journal, and 
Independent Gazeteer, but not one of these was published 
oftener than three times a week. On September 21, 1784, 
Dunlop and Claypoole began a daily issue of the Packet. 
This was the first daily newspaper in America. 

Return of Franklin, 1785. — In Pennsylvania one of the 
notable events of the year 1785 was the return of Benjamin 
Franklin, who had been sent abroad (1776) to aid in securing 
the aid of France. He had remained as the representative 
of our country, and had been one of the chief envoys in 
negotiating the treaty of peace with Great Britain. 

Franklin was now in his eightieth year and somewhat 
infirm. Though he had his enemies, there was no question 
that next to Washington he was held to be the most distin- 
guished man in America. Manasseh Cutler, who visited him 
in 1787, speaks of Franklin as, "This great man who had 
been the wonder of Europe, as well as the glory of America." 
The vessel in which he came from France was made fast at 
High (Market) Street wharf, September 14, 1785. As he 
landed, bells were rung and delegates met him with addresses 
of congratulation. He was at once chosen to the Supreme 
Executive Council, and then as president of the State, suc- 
ceeding John Dickinson, who had held office three years. 
It was more of an honor than a task, for he left most of the 
work to the vice-president. He was twice re-elected, holding 
the ofhce until 1788. 

Constitutional Convention, 1787. — Pennsylvania, and more 
particularly Philadelphia, had already been the scene of two 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 167 

notable gatherings, the first Congress of the colonies, which 
had been held in Carpenters' Hall; and the second Congress, 
held in the state house, where Independence had been de- 
clared; it was now to be the scene of a third gathering per- 
haps even more important than either of the other two. 

In the early days of the Revolution it was seen that there 
should be some bond of union for the States, and in 1777 the 
Articles of Confederation were drawn up and adopted by 
Congress. The States, however, moved largely by jealousy 
and the fear of losing some of their independent action, were 
slow in ratifying them. It was not until 1781 that Maryland, 
the last State, ratified them. The Articles had their value, 
but it was evident that the time had come for a change, for 
it was impossible that a national government could exist 
under them much longer. Their chief fault was that they 
conferred no power upon the government to enforce any of 
its decrees or legislation. 

At length a national convention was called to consider 
what should be done to remedy the difhculties under which 
the country was laboring. This convention was called to 
meet at Philadelphia in May, 1787. Notwithstanding that 
the poHtical conditions of the country so clearly needed a 
reformation, only fifty-five of the seventy-three delegates 
chosen put in an appearance, but they included many of the 
ablest men of the whole country. 

Pennsylvania's Delegates to the Convention. Penns> 1- 
vania sent eight delegates, of w^hom the most important 
were Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, James Wilson, 
and Gouverneur Morris.^ From Virginia came George Wash- 

^ P'ranklin was not chosen at first, but was added later. Tlu- otliers, in 
addition to those named, were Thomas Milllin, George Clymer, Jarcd Ingersoll, 
and Thomas Fitzsimmons. The delegates were chosen by the Assemble 



1 68 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

ington and James Madison; from New York, Alexander 
Hamilton; from Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry; from Con- 
necticut, Roger Sherman; from Delaware, John Dickinson. 
By common consent Washington was made president of 
the convention, and William Jackson of South Carolina was 
chosen secretary. The convention met in Independence 
Chamber, and sat with closed doors. Behind these doors 
for four months the debate went on, and no one outside 
knew what was said. Never, perhaps, were deliberations 
so carefully and successfully guarded. It was not until the 
death of James Madison (1836) the last survivor, that any- 
thing approaching a full account of the proceedings was 
available.^ The new Constitution was given to the public 
in September, 1787. 

Constitution of the United States. — The new Constitu- 
tion was before the country for its adoption or rejection. 
Naturally the members of the radical party in Pennsylvania 
were opposed to the kind of government such a document 
provided for. It was full of checks and restrictions, which 
were precisely the things they abhorred. The supporters of 
the Constitution were shrewd politicians, and they deter- 
mined to take no risks of defeat which could be avoided, 
and so by somewhat sharp practice managed to have a 
convention called at an early date. It was about time for 
the election of a new Assembly, at which election it was 
generally supposed the question would turn on the adoption 
or rejection of the Constitution, but in the closing days of 
the old Assembly, George Clymer moved that a ratifying 
convention should be held in November. This was carried 

1 Even Madison's account was very brief, consisting of short notes made 
from day to day. Other "notes" have since been published, but Madison's 
account is the fullest. 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 169 

by a vote of forty-three to nineteen. P\'arful of what might 
come next, the minority resolved to absent themselves so 
there would be no quorum for transacting business. But 
when the Assembly met the next morning, a crowd of the 
people in the streets seized two of the minority, whom they 
found in their rooms, and carried them bodily into the state 
house. "Their clothes were torn and they were white with 
rage," but they completed the quorum, and a convention 
was called for November 21st. 

Ratification of the United States Constitution in Pennsyl- 
vania. — One of the fiercest political struggles that the State 
has ever seen took place. over the ratification of the United 
States Constitution. A perfect deluge of pamphlets was 
issued. The supporters of each side attacked their oppo- 
nents in strong language, and there were riots in the streets. 

The State was divided, the city and eastern counties, 
which had experienced the evils of the radical rule, were 
strongly in favor of the adoption of the Constitution, and 
here the FederaKsts, or supporters of the measure, had an 
overwhelming majority. The western counties, where the 
Scotch-Irish were numerous, w^ere as strongly opposed, and 
there the Anti-Federalists had an overwhelming majority. 
The convention met November 21st, 1787. The Anti-Fed- 
erahsts were outvoted and the Constitution was adopted 
December 12, by a vote of forty-six to twenty-three.^ But 
Pennsylvania has not the credit of being the first to ratify. 
That honor went to Delaware which, on December 7, ratified 
the measure by a unanimous vote. The early ratification by 
Pennsylvania had a powerful influence in determining the 
action of other States. 

^ Of seven eastern counties every vote, except one of Lancaster, was cast for 
the adoption; while the western counties cast nineteen of the negative votes. 



lyo HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Celebration of the Adoption of the Constitution. — Nine 
States had ratified the new Constitution by June 21, 1788, 
and through the adoption four days later by Virginia, the new 
form of government was assured. "The 4th of July, 1788, 
witnessed such rejoicings as have perhaps never been seen 
before or since on American soil." Not the least was the cele- 
bration in Philadelphia. It was the first of the pageants, and, 
considering the times, has never been surpassed. At sunrise, 
July 4th, the city bells were rung and a salute fired from the 
vessel Rising Sun in the river. Ten ships richly decorated, 
and representing the ten States, were stationed from "New 
Hampshire" at Callowhill Street, to "Georgia" at Cedar 
(South) Street. At eight o'clock the procession started from 
Third and Cedar (South) Streets and went through the prin- 
cipal streets of the city. The pageant was a mile and a half 
long, and it was estimated that five thousand men were in 
the line. Conspicuous above everything was the "Grand 
Federal Edifice," which was a dome supported by thirteen 
Corinthian pillars, three of them uncompleted. This build- 
ing was placed on a float drawn by ten white horses. On 
top of the dome was a statue of Plenty with a cornucopia; 
then there was a Federal ship Union; then representatives 
from various trades with men and women working; and 
hosts of other exhibits. The oration of the day was given 
by James Wilson. 

Pennsylvania Constitution of 1790. — The success of the 
Federal Convention and the ratification by Pennsylvania of 
the Constitution of the United States gave new life to the 
Federalists, and they determined to have a new Constitution 
for Pennsylvania. A convention was called which met in 
Philadelphia, November, 1789. It prepared a constitution 
and then adjourned in February, 1790, until the following 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 171 

August, thus giving ample time for the document to be dis- 
cussed. When the convention reassembled the instrument 
was adopted without being referred to a popular vote. 

The new Constitution was to a large extent modeled on 
that of the United States. The old executive council, the 
single legislative house, and the censors were swept away, 
and a governor to be elected by the people, and a legisla- 
ture of two houses took their place. Most of the important 
State officials, including the judges, were to be appointed 
by the governor. The new Constitution took effect at once 
(October, 1790).^ General Thomas Mifflin was elected gov- 
ernor and was twice re-elected, holding office until 1799. 

New Charter for Philadelphia, 1789. — In March, 1789, 
the Assembly had passed an act creating the ''Mayor, 
Aldermen, and Citizens of Philadelphia" a body politic. The 
charter was much more democratic than the old one. The 
aldermen, and the members of the common council were 
elected by the people. The mayor was chosen annually by 
the aldermen. 

Samuel Powel, who had been mayor when the old char- 
ter came to an end, was the first mayor under the new 
regulations. The city at this time was bounded by the two 
rivers on the east and west, and by Vine and Cedar (South) 
Streets, on the north and south. 

Death of Franklin. — On April 17, 1790, Benjamin Frank- 
lin died at the age of eighty-five. His funeral is said to 
have been witnessed by 20,000 people. The bells were 
muffled and tolled, and minute guns fired while the funeral 
procession moved. He was laid beside his wife in Christ 
Church burying ground, corner of Fifth and Arch Streets. 
A simple horizontal marble slal) marks their grave. 

* This Constilulion was in forrc until iSjS. 



172 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



Philadelphia the National Capital. — By a resolution of 
the first Congress of the United States, Philadelphia was to 
be the capital of the country for the ten years from 1790 
to 1800. Meanwhile a new city on the banks of the Potomac 
(Washington) was to be constructed as the permanent 
abode of the government. In accordance with this decision 
the offices of the Federal government were moved to Phila- 
delphia late in 1790, and in December of the same year 

Congress began its 
sessions. Congress 
met in the court 
house of Phila- 
delphia County on 
the corner of Sixth 
and Chestnut 
Streets, which was 
ofi^ered for the 
purpose. The 
Senate met in the 
second story, and 
the House of Rep- 
resentatives occu- 
pied the lower 
floor. This build- 
soon 
Con- 




CoNGRESs Hall, Philadelphia 
National Capitol 1 790-1800 



mg was 
known a s 

gress Hall.^ In it Washington was inaugurated for the 
second time, and in it delivered his Farewell Address. Here 
also John Adams took the oath of office as second President 
of the United States. In 1790 John Adams, Vice-President, 

1 No payment was ever made for the ten years' use of Congress Hall, a fact 
not to the credit of the national Congress. 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 173 

presided over the Senate of twenty-six members recently 
made complete by ratification of the Constitution bv 
Rhode Island in May of that year. The speaker of the 
House of Representatives was Frederick A. Muhlenberg of 
Pennsylvania, one of the three distinguished sons of Henry 
Melchior Muhlenberg, the great leader of the Lutherans in 
Pennsylvania.^ The Supreme Court of the United States 
held its sessions in the building on the corner of Fifth and 
Chestnut Streets, beginning in 1791.- 

President Washington in Philadelphia. — The Depart- 
ment of State occupied a building on the northwest corner of 
Eighth and Market Streets; the Treasury was at the south- 
west corner of Third and Chestnut Streets; and the other 
departments were housed wherever suitable accommodations 
could be found. President Washington occupied the hne 
residence of Robert Morris on Market Street below Sixth. 
Here he maintained a stately hospitality. He held receptions 
every other Tuesday afternoon. Washington had exalted 
ideas of the dignity belonging to his station, and on such 
occasions he never shook hands with any one, but received 
all with a dignified bow. "He stood before the fireplace, 
his hair was powdered and gathered behind in a silk bag, 
and he wore coat and breeches of plain black velvet, white 
or pearl-colored waistcoat, yellow glo\es, a cocked hat in 
his hand, silver knee- and shoe-buckles, and a long sword, 
with a finely wrought and glittering steel hilt, the coat worn 
over it and its scabbard of polished white leather." 

1 The other sons were John Peter Gabriel, a general in the Continental 
army, who is the preacher in T. B. Read's "Wagoner of the Alleghanies"; 
and Gottlieb Heinrich, a preacher, and one of the most distinguished botanists 
of his day. 

2 These two buildings present the same- external appearance as they did in 
the eighteenth century, Congress Hall having been lately restored. 



174 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

An account of the United States government belongs to 
national history and cannot be dwelt upon here, but it is 
sufficient to say that the official life added much to the 
interest and gayety of Hfe in Philadelphia. 

The French Revolution and its Effect in America. — The 
news of the French Revolution (1792) excited a great deal of 
feehng in America, especially in Pennsylvania. This was 
chiefly due to the activity of Genet, the French minister 
to the United States, who did his best to arouse feeling in 
favor of France and against England. So successful was he 
that John Adams wrote that there were ten thousand men in 
the streets threatening to drag Washington from his house 
to compel a declaration of war against England. The French 
partisans wore tri-colored badges and liberty caps. Genet, 
at the request of Washington, was recalled by the French 
government. 

Bank of the United States ; Insurance Companies. — As 
Robert Morris had put the finances of the Revolution on a 
safe basis, so now Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of the 
Treasury, was to do the same for the new Union. Part of 
his plan was a Bank of the United States. Such an institu- 
tion was chartered February 25, 1791, and is known as the 
first Bank of the United States. The bank began business 
in Carpenters' Hall, and in July, 1797, was removed to its 
own building on south Third Street, now occupied by the 
Girard National Bank.^ In 1792 the United States Mint 
was estabhshed in a building on Seventh Street near Filbert, 
and David Rittenhouse was the first Director. In 1794 two 

1 When the charter of the bank came to an end the building was bought 
by Stephen Girard. It later became the property of the Girard Bank. 
Though the interior has undergone many changes, the Third Street front 
remains as it was, a fine example of the classical architecture of its day. 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 



175 



insurance companies were chartered: the Insurance Company 
of North America and the Insurance Company of the Slate 
of Pennsylvania. In 1791 the Bank of North America gave 
notice that hereafter all business would be transacted in dol- 




frit-.' ^.. .-. 



1 i^^u^ p^ I ic^ 

B IS 



- -■ ^-. -1 1 



\i\ 



Bank of the United States, 1797 

lars and cents, instead of pounds, shillings, and pence, but 
the change was not general until 1800. 

Roads and Canals. — The great increase of trade and 
commerce made some improvement in the means of com- 
munication a necessity, and the construction of turnjMke 
roads began. The first of these was the Lancaster "pike" 
from Philadelphia to Lancaster, the first artificial road of 
such extent in the United States. It was sixty-two miles 
long. The first attempt was not a success. But an English 
road-builder, familiar with the Macadam system, was found, 



176 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



and a road was built which was the pride of the State and 
a model for the rest of the country.^ Over this turnpike 
for forty years an extensive wagon trade was carried on 
with the West of that day, and thousands of emigrants 
passed over it to their new homes. A turnpike was opened 
to Germantown and Chestnut Hill late in the century. 

The value of canals as a cheap means for the transporta- 
tion of goods attracted much attention at this time, and a 
number of these were projected, chief among them being the 
Schuylkill Canal. So sure were the people that this would 
be a success that they subscribed more than six times the 
amount of capital needed. 

Steam Navigation ; Fitch ; Evans. — This was also the era 
of experiments in steam navigation. One of the earhest 

experimenters in 

if^ms^^^^^^^^^^^^§ i7^% this field was James 

Rumsey of Virginia. 
At the same time 
John Fitch, a native 
of Connecticut, was 
making experiments 
in Pennsylvania. 
In 1786 he placed 
upon the Delaware River a steam vessel having six oars 
on each side; as six came out of the water, six entered it. 
He made several modifications of his steamer, all of which 
were fairly successful. In 1788 one of his boats was run 
between Philadelphia and Burlington, New Jersey, a dis- 
tance of twenty miles, in three hours, and in 1790 a more 
or less regular schedule was followed, the fare being two 
shillings and six pence. But the enterprise was not a 

1 The road was constructed by a stock company, and tolls were charged. 




" Perseverance " 

John Fitch's first steamboat, as seen on the 
Delaware in 1787 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 177 

commercial success, the boat was wrecked, and Fitch left 
Philadelphia.^ It remained for Robert Fulton, a native of 
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, to make steam navigation 
commercially successful. But the story of his efforts does 
not belong to the history of Pennsylvania. 

Oliver Evans, an engineer of Philadelphia, spent much 
time and money in experiments with steam as a moti\e 
power. He built in 1804 a steamboat w^ith paddle wheels, 
which went up the Delaware as far as Beverly, New Jersey. 
He also tried to make steam carriages, and as early as 1802 
had built one which ran a short distance. In 1805 he made 
a more successful one. But his money gave out and he was 
not able to do more. It is said that he prophesied that the 
time would come when carriages propelled by steam would 
run as fast as twenty miles an hour. In this period also 
an attempt was made at Mauch Chunk to mine and use 
anthracite coal. But owing to the abundance of wood for fuel, 
and to ignorance of how to use the hard coal, the attempt to 
bring the latter into common use was a failure. 

Yellow Fever in Philadelphia, 1793. — These financial, 
commercial, and other enterprises received a severe check in 
1793 by the coming of a terrible pestilence, the yellow fever, 
which probably was brought to the city by a ship crowded 
with refugees from Haiti. From August to November the 
ravages of the dread disease went on. By September ist 
most of the citizens that could leave had done so, and hun- 
dreds of stores and houses were closed, business being prac- 
tically suspended. The number of deaths was so great that 
it was difhcult to get the dead buried in proper time. Men 

^ Fitch went to Paris, then returned as a commoi: sailor to Xcw \'()ri<. 
Here he continued his experiments and propelled a small craft with a screw, 
anticipating the much later invention of Ericsson. 



178 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

were afraid to greet their friends except with a nod of 
recognition, and walked in the center of the streets to get 
as far from the houses as possible. A hospital was opened 
at the mansion of "Bush Hill," and two men, Peter Helm 
and Stephen Girard, volunteered to take charge of it. Dur- 
ing the next six weeks about one half of those taken to 
this hospital died. The medical knowledge of the day was 
unable to cope with the pestilence, and much of the treat- 
ment employed is now known to have been useless if not 
positively harmful. Perhaps the best thing that was done 
was a thorough cleaning of the streets by the city authori- 
ties. The devotion of the physicians and of others to the 
stricken ones is beyond praise. 

The Legislature met in August, but adjourned in a few 
days. President Washington, who had gone to Mount Ver- 
non early in August, returned in November, and went to 
Germantown.^ 

When cold weather arrived the pestilence came to an end.^ 
The city was visited by the yellow fever almost every 
summer after this for ten years, and in 1797, 1798, and 
1799, it was especially fatal. One result of this suffering 
was the enactment of legislation to secure better sanitary 
measures, the adoption of a quarantine system, and improve- 
ment in the hospitals. 

Farming and Manufacturing. — The history of political 
affairs and of the incidents connected with Philadelphia has 
claimed most attention, but the State was progressing rapidly 

^ While there he occupied what is known as the "Morris House," which is 
in admirable preservation. It is now 5442 Germantown Avenue. 

2 Of the 28,000 persons who were left after the exodus of those who could 
get away, there were during the ten weeks of the visitation, between 4,000 and 
5,000 persons who died. 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 17Q 

in the country districts as well. Farming was profitable, 
and the German farmers were probabl\' the best in the 
whole land. In the settled part of the country the popula- 
tion was industrious. Manufacturing in various parts of 
the State was increasing, and a beginning had been made 
in developing the natural resources, but no one \ct dreamed 
of the vast wealth that w^as later to be acquired 1)\' mining 
and manufacturing. 






r 




Fergus ]\Ioorhead House. Indiana County 

Built by the first settlers of Indiana County, about 1778, upon the site 
where he had built a log cabin in 1772, a few miles from the present town 
of Indiana 

Transportation Problems; the Whiskey Tax. — Means of 
transportation were all the time becoming better for the east- 
ern farmers, and there was a steady and good market for their 
grain and produce. But the farmers west of the Alleghanies 
had practically no market for their produce. I'hc vast 
region west of the Ohio River was a wilderness. 



i8o HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The only way in which the Scotch-Irish farmers of the 
western part of the State could market their grain at profit- 
able prices was to turn it into whiskey, for a barrel of whiskey 
could be transported with much greater ease than the grain 
required to make the whiskey. So extensive was this trade 
that whiskey, like tobacco in Virginia, was used as money. 
In 1 791 Congress, to raise funds, laid an excise, or, as we 
should say, an internal revenue tax upon whiskey. 

These hot-headed men of the West were at once aroused 
by this law and determined not to pay the tax. The 
Pennsylvania Legislature declared the tax to be excessive. 
Besides this, the tax had been imposed by a Federahst Con^ 
^ress and most of the Western men were Anti-Federalists. 
Moreover, the danger from the Indians on the western fron- 
tier tended to keep the population in an excited condition. 

The government found it difficult to secure tax-collectors. 
When one was appointed, he was seized, stripped, tarred and 
feathered, and otherwise ill-treated. When warrants were 
issued against the offenders the United States marshals were 
afraid to serve them. These acts ended the attempt at col- 
lection of taxes until 1794, when Congress resolved that the 
taxes must be collected. 

The Whiskey Insurrection, 1794. — When legal writs were 
issued against a number of the distillers for breaking the law, 
it was rumored that the accused men were to be taken away 
from their own neighborhood for trial in Philadelphia. The 
house of the government inspector was attacked, and one 
man was killed and several wounded. The next day the 
inspector's house was attacked again and burned, but not 
before the leader of the mob had been shot. 

The leaders now tried to bring so many into the ranks of 
the mob that it would be impossible to punish all. Various 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 



t8i 



acts of lawlessness were committed, and se\eral thousand men, 
it is said, assembled on Braddock's Field, ready for almost 
any kind of lawlessness. The headquarters of the go\ern- 
ment officers were at Pittsburgh, then a place of about 
twelve hundred inhabitants. The rioters, anxious to do 
something, threatened to march in and destroy that " Sodom," 
as they called it. 




:^M^'^]!l^-^'M 










First Post Office at Pittsburgh 



The town people appointed agents to treat with the rioters, 
and it was agreed that four men objectionable to the attack- 
ing party should be sent out of the town, and the rest of 
the inhabitants should march to Braddock's Field. The 
next day the rioters went to Pittsburgh and encamj)ed on 
the edge of the town. The householders carried provisions 
and whiskey out to them, and their anger was quieted. 

But such rebellion against the government could not be 
ignored, or all authority would be lost. (Governor Mifflin 
was called upon to put down the rising, but he hesitated. 



i82 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

either on account of timidity or of sympathy with the rebels. 
President Washington acted with vigor, and made a requisi- 
tion upon Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey 
for 15,000 troops. Before issuing orders to march he sent 
three commissioners who were joined by two appointed by 
Governor Mifflin to meet the leaders of the rioters. The 
visit of the commissioners did not produce very satisfactory 
results, so President Washington issued a proclamation of 
warning, and then set the little army in motion under 
the command of Governor '^ Harry" Lee of Virginia. He 
himself accompanied the troops as far as Bedford. Governor 
Mifflin by this time had become very energetic and put him- 
self at the head of the Pennsylvania militia. 

Fortunately, this demonstration was sufficient to break 
down all opposition, and before the troops crossed the moun- 
tains the insurgents had disbanded and gone to their homes. 
Few arrests were made, and no one was convicted of treason. 
Two who were convicted, the one of arson and the other of 
mail robbery, were both pardoned by Washington. The 
Whiskey Rebellion was ended. 

That the end was peaceful was largely due to a young man 
named Albert Gallatin, who by his eloquence and abihty 
persuaded the men to cease further resistance and accept 
the terms offered by the commissioners. 

Albert Gallatin. — Albert Gallatin, one of the most dis- 
tinguished men of the United States, was a highly educated 
Swiss who came to America in 1780, when he was about 
twenty years old. He was first an instructor in Harvard 
College, and then he went out to Fayette County, Penn- 
sylvania, and became a manufacturer and a farmer. He 
soon attained a prominent position in the community and 
was sent to the Legislature. In 1793, when he was only 



AFTER THE REVOLUTION 183 

thirty-two, he was chosen to the United States Senate, but 
lost his seat after a few months through a technicahlw' 

Immediately after the Whiskey Rebellion he was chosen 
to the United States House of Representatives, but was again 
rejected on a technicahty. He was immediately re-elected 
and served in the House six years (i 795-1 801), when he was 
appointed Secretary of the Treasury, by President JelTerson, 
an office which he held twelve years. Next to Alexander 
Hamilton he is probably the ablest public financier the coun- 
try has had. 

The Fries Rebellion. — The Whiskey Insurrection was not 
the only resistance made in Pennsylvania against national 
taxation. In 1798 Congress laid a tax upon slaves, houses, 
and lands. By this time there were so few slaves in Pennsyl- 
vania that the tax amounted to little, but a tax on houses 
was quite a different matter. This tax was upon the \'akie 
of the house estimated by the number and size of the 
windows. This seemed to the Germans a very unfair method 
and the tax an unjust one, and payment was resisted.- A 
man named John Fries, an auctioneer, and a good "stumjv 
speaker," went about the country for several months denounc- 
ing the tax in unmeasured language. He was accompanied 
by about sixty men, marching to the sound of a life and 
drum, all of which created much excitement. For a time he 
was not interrupted, but one day in his absence a dozen of 
his men wxre arrested by the United States Marshal and taken 
to Bethlehem. Fries promptly attempted a rescue. Leading 

1 Being foreign born, it was needful for him lo have l)een nine years a eiti- 
zen of the United States, and he had taken out his naturahzation papers only 
eight years before. 

- This is sometimes called the " Ilot-waler ki-bi-llion" from tlu- lad that 
in some places the women poured hot water on the assessors while lhe>- were 
measuring the windows. 



1 84 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

a large band of men he appeared before the Sun Inn at Beth- 
lehem, where the men were confined, and upon demanding 
his men they were given up. At the request of President 
Adams, Governor Mifflin called out the militia. This was 
sufficient to end the rebelhon. Fries fled, concealed him- 
self in a swamp south of Allentown, where he was unwittingly 
betrayed by his little dog "Whiskey," his constant companion. 
He was tried for treason and convicted, but was allowed a 
second trial at which he was again convicted. President 
Adams pardoned him. Some of his foflowers were also con- 
victed, but escaped with comparatively light punishments. 
This rebellion, if so it can be called, is usually known as the 
"Fries Rebellion." The speedy downfaU of the "Whiskey" 
and the "Fries" rebellions imparted great strength to the 
new Federal Government. These incidents demonstrated the 
fact that the Federal Government intended to enforce its 
laws, which the old government could not do. 

Choice of a State Capital. — It has already been mentioned 
that there was, in 1784, some effort made to remove the 
State capital from Philadelphia, though nothing definite 
was accompKshed. The project had not been given up, 
and there were many good reasons for the change. Travel- 
ing ^was slow and expensive, and the journey even from the 
center of the State w^as long and difficult. On the ground 
of fairness to all a location nearer the center of the State 
was desirable. More than this, the law-makers had not 
forgotten the threatenings of the "Paxton Boys," the forcible 
means used to complete a quorum, and the various acts 
of mob violence and intimidation. Then, again, the interests 
of the western counties were supposed to be different from 
those of the eastern, and should not be exposed to the hos- 
tihty of the east, where it was beheved free speech could 



AFTER THE REVC^LUTION 185 

not be secured. All these, but especially the latter, created 
a strong feeling in favor of removal of the capital from 
Philadelphia. In 1795 the House voted in favor of Carlisle, 
but the Senate did not agree; the next year Lancaster was 
the choice, but again the Senate disagreed. In 1798 Harris- 
burg and Wright's Ferry, York County, were voted for, but 
there was no choice. At last, in April, 1799, Lancaster was 
chosen, the change to go into effect in November of the 
same year.^ 

National Government moved to Washington, 1800. In 
1800, the National Government was moved to Washington, 
so Philadelphia,^ within a short time, was deprived of both 
State and National governments. This double loss was a 
serious injury to the city for hereafter her interests were 
to be almost wholly local and her citizens were to suffer in 
many ways because of a narrower political and intellectual 
horizon. 

^ The seat of the State government remained at Lancaster until 181 2, 
when it was moved to Harrisburg, where it has since remained. 



CHAPTER XV 

CONDITIONS IN THE STATE ABOUT 1800 

Sympathy with France; Riots. — The closing years of the 
eighteenth century and the opening ones of the nineteenth 
were marked by much excitement and party feehng. The 
worst name that could be given to a man was to call him a 
Tory, the popular sympathy being wholly with the French; 
and it was only when news of the ill-treatment of the three 
envoys of the United States by the French Directory reached 
Philadelphia that enthusiasm for France and things French 
was lessened. A revulsion came when Citizen Adet, the French 
minister to America, issued an address to the people of the 
United States, intended to arouse them against their own 
government. While the excitement was at its height, Gilbert 
Fox, a young actor at the Chestnut Street Theatre, called 
upon Joseph Hopkinson, a lawyer, well known for his literary 
and artistic tastes, to write a song that could be sung to a 
very popular air of the day, known as the ''President's 
March." ^ He compHed, and on the evening of April 25, 
1798, Fox sang ''Hail Columbia," accompanied by a full 
band and a "grand chorus." It made a great sensation, was 
sung in the streets and theatres of Philadelphia and New 
York, and did much to create a national sentiment. How 
violent was the feehng can be judged from the fact that on 
May 8, 1798, which President Adams set apart as a day of 
fasting and prayer, the streets of Philadelphia were crowded 

' This march was composed about 1793 by Philip Phile, a German music 
m ister in Philadelphia. 



CONDITIONS IN THE STATE ABOUT iSoo 187 

with excited men shouting and acting in such a riotous way 
that Governor Mifflin had ''to order patrols of horse and foot 
to preserve the peace." President Adams, who occupied 
the Robert Morris house on Market Street, writes of the 
same day, '' I myself judged it prudent and necessary to order 
chests of arms from the war ofhce to be brought through by 
lanes and back doors, determined to defend my house at the 
expense of my life and the lives of the few, very iew, domestics 
and friends within it." ^ 

Libels in the Newspapers. — The newspaper press during 
this time w^as perhaps more bitter in its personal abuse 
than at any other period in the nation's history. The passage 
of the unwise Alien and Sedition Laws by the Federalist 
Congress, gave the Anti-Federahst and French party good 
grounds for complaint, of which they made much use. It is 
quite possible that in passing these laws Congress was in- 
fluenced by the abuse already received in the newspaper 
press. The Philadelphia paper which had been the most 
abusive was the Aurora. Its editor, William Duane. had come 
to Philadelphia in 1795, and by his caustic and severe articles 
had exerted much influence. He was a violent partisan and 
was not restrained even by the laws against libel. It is 
reported that there were sixty libel suits against him at one 
time. He was the leader of the extreme Anti-Federalists. 
The Federalists were supported by John Fenno in his Gazette 
of the United States, which w^as scarcely less violent than the 
Aurora. Still another journalist was William CohbcU. an 
Englishman, who established Porcupine's Gazette, m which he 
defended England and the English party. He was a master 

^ President Adams was especially obnoxious to the I-Vencli or Rcpuhliran 
party, and for the whole time of his stay in Philadelphia, ho sudered unbridled 
and fierce persecution in the newspapers. 



1 88 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

of incisive English, and, like Duane, unsparing in his use 
of language. He, too, was repeatedly charged with libel. 
The most noted case was that of Dr. Benjamin Rush, whom 
he had slandered. Dr. Rush gained a verdict for $5000 
damages.^ This ruined Cobbett, and later he returned to 
England, where he published for many years his valuable 
Political Register. 

Governor McKean. — The successor to Governor Mifflin 
was Thomas McKean, who served three terms (i 799-1808). 
He was of humble parentage. He was educated at the New 
London Academy and then studied law. When twenty- 
eight he was chosen to the Delaware Assembly and held the 
position eleven years. Delaware sent him to the Conti- 
nental Congress, and he signed the Declaration of Independ- 
ence. In 1777 he was made Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Court of Pennsylvania. He was chosen president of the 
Congress in 1781. He drew up the Constitution of Dela- 
ware, and was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 
1790 in Pennsylvania. He was strongly democratic in his 
feehngs. He not unfrequently used violent language. After 
his election he called the Federalists ''traitors, refugees, 
Tories, French aristocrats, British agents, apostate Whigs." 
He was continually at odds with the Legislature, and once 
came near being impeached. He was an honest man and 
had a large following among the people. 

Pennsylvania Votes for Jefferson and Burr. — The Presi- 
dential election of 1800 was one of the most exciting the 
country has witnessed. In Pennsylvania, as in most of the 
States at that time, the Presidential electors were chosen by 
the Legislature. But the House was Anti-Federalist or Demo- 

1 It is said that some of Co])bctt's friends paid the damages, and Dr. Rush, 
having had his honor vindicated, devoted the money to charity. 



CONDITIONS IN THE STATE ABOUT iSoo 189 

cratic, and the Senate Federalist. A compromise was reached 
by which each House should select eight candidates, and these 
should jointly choose the fifteen electors to which the State 
was entitled. The result was that Jefferson and Burr received 
eight votes, and Adams and Pinckney seven. When the 




Pennsylvania Counties in 1800 

electoral votes of the States wxre counted at Washington, 
it \vas found that Jefferson and Burr had each sixt\-six 
votes, Adams sixty-five, and Pinckney sixty-four. This 
result, according to the requirements in the Constitution at 
that time, threw the final choice upon the House of Repre- 
sentatives, where the vote must be taken by states. After 
most exciting scenes the House chose Jefferson; and Burr 
became Vice-President. In the election the vote of Pennsyl- 
vania was given to Jefferson.^ 

At the news of the choice of Jefferson the radical popula- 

1 The members of Congress and many persons in the country at larj^e con- 
Kiatulatcd themselves that Congress was sitting at Washington and not ann)ng 
the excitable people of Philadelphia. 



IQO 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



tion of Philadelphia went wild with joy. But even Jefferson 
was too conservative; the people, it was said, should do every- 
thing; "one man is as good as another." Indeed so extreme 
was the position taken that the moderate men of the Demo- 
cratic-Repubhcan party were much disturbed. Such was the 
state of poUtical parties at the close of the century. 




" CoNESTOGA " Wagon of Pennsylvania 

Early Towns. — By this time a number of towns had grown 
up. Chester was the oldest town in the State, and there had 
been added Lancaster (1730), Bethlehem (1741), Reading 
(1748), Lebanon (1750), Allentown (17 51), Easton (1752), 
and others. In the center of the state were Harrisburg, 
Bedford, York, Wrightstown, and in the extreme west, Pitts- 
burgh, which in 1800 had less than 2000 population. 

Internal Improvements; Modes of Travel. ^ — With the 
growth of population and the founding of towns the need for 
internal improvements was manifest. Various enterprises 
were undertaken, the most important of which was the ex- 
tension of the Lancaster road to Pittsburgh; this road then 
became more than ever the great route to the West. Cioods 
were carried chiefly by means of large Conestoga wagons, 



CONDITIONS IN THE STATE ABOUT iSoo 191 




An Old Time Stage Coach 



which, with their picturesque cotton clotli covers and teams 
of six, eight, or even more sleek, well-fed horses, were an 
interesting sight. In 1804 a stage line was established, and 
once a week a stage started for Pittsburgh; the journe)- took 
a week. At Pittsburgh the traveler could take a boat and 
float down the Ohio and Mississippi ri\ers to New Orleans. 

Traveling was costly, 
and the stages of the 
day were uncomfortable 
vehicles. Their bodies 
were swung high over 
heavy wheels; the pas- 
sengers sat on benches 
which ran from side to 
side and faced the horses. 

There were no backs except on the rear seat, which was 
usually given up to women. The passengers all entered at 
the front and clambered over the benches, for there were no 
side doors; w^hen it rained, leather curtains in which there 
were no windows were let down and fastened with buckles 
and straps. 

Bridges. — Another improvement was the building of 
bridges over rivers. The bridge of boats over the Schuylkill 
at Middle Ferry (Market Street) left by the British, had been 
replaced by a similar one. After considerable discussion it 
was determined to build a permanent structure. The corner 
stone was laid in 1800, and the bridge, built of wood, was 
opened in 1805. It was soon roofed over for protection from 
the weather, and is believed to have been the first covered 
bridge in the United States. The total cost was S^ocooo. 
A bridge was also constructed across the Delaware at 
Trenton, as well as others at various places. 



192 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Philadelphia's Water Supply. — Philadelphia had grown to 
be so large a city that the question of a water supply became 
an important one. The city was, in 1798, still suppHed with 
water from pumps in every street, placed near the road-bed, 
at distances of about sixty or seventy feet. There were few 
sewers, and they were not properly made; much of the house- 
hold refuse and garbage was thrown out in the alleys, and in 
the back-yards of the houses. At this time a skilful English 
architect, Benjamin H. Latrobe/ came to Philadelphia, and 
the matter of water supply was entrusted to him. He de- 
cided that water-works should be erected on the banks of the 
Schuylkill near the city. From these the water could be 
pumped by steam power into a raised reservoir, so it could 
be distributed throughout the city. The plan met with great 
opposition, but was adopted. The place chosen for the works 
was where Chestnut Street now meets the Schuylkill.^ The 
water was carried in a brick tunnel down Chestnut Street to 
Broad, then to Centre Square (the site of the present City 
Hall), where an engine raised it thirty-six feet above the 
ground into a reservoir. From this it was distributed in 
hollow logs, having a channel of three or four inches in diam- 
eter. These were sunk in all the principal streets. The 
work was begun in 1799. So great was the opposition that 
the works were injured several times. The water was turned 
on in January, 1801, and the results were all that the most 
hopeful had looked for — the health of the people was 
better, there was greater security against destruction by fire, 
and habits of cleanliness were induced and strengthened. 

^ Latrobe was the architect of a number of buildings in Philadelphia, and of 
the original capitol at Washington. 

2 Chestnut Street was not paved beyond Fifth Street, so the site chosen was 
quite in the country, and the water was pure. 



CONDITIONS IN THE STATE ABOUT iSoo ig;. 

Manufacture of Iron. — The iron industry, begun in 1720 
at Coventry Forge, Chester County, had steadily increased, 
and there were furnaces in Montgomcr\-, Berks, Chester, 
York and Cumberland counties, and in other places. It is 
stated that in 1786 there were seventeen furnaces within forty 
miles of Lancaster, besides mills for manufacturing iron. In 
the latter part of the century there were many forges and 
furnaces begun in the valley of the Juniata. The first furnace 
west of the Alleghanies was started at Jacob's Creek, where 
cannon balls were made for the defense of Pittsburgh against 
the Indians. All this iron was made in charcoal furnaces, 
for anthracite and bituminous coal were not yet used for 
smelting iron ore. 

Manufactures; Tariff. — Manufacturing had also grown. 
A society for the purpose of aiding the industries of the State 
was formed under the name of "The Pennsylvania Society 
for the Encouragement of Manufactures and the Useful 
Arts." This society offered prizes for the largest crops of 
hemp, flax, or cotton in Pennsylvania, for the best book 
printed in Philadelphia, the best piece of earthenware or glass, 
and for other things. 

Two carding and spinning machines were brought from 
England in 1788 and set up on Market Street, and by the close 
of the year twenty-six looms were at work.' Germantowii 
was celebrated for stockings, saddles, and carriages. Large 
quantities of hosiery were also made in Philadelphia, Reading, 
and Lancaster. In 1790, boots, shoes, and clogs were manu- 
factured in large quantities, and paper also, there being o\er 
fifty paper mills whose chief market was Philadelphia. 

The extent of the manufacturing interests and the possi- 
biUty of further development led the Pennsylvanians to seek 
^ They made jeans, satinets, and other stulTs. 



194 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

government aid. As early as September, 1785, the Penn- 
sylvania Assembly passed an act ''to encourage and protect 
the manufactures of this State by laying additional duties on 
the importation of certain manufactures which interfere 
with them."^ The duties were by no means light. Thus 
early began the support of a protective tariff in Pennsyl- 
vania, which for so many years has been the stronghold of 
protection. 

Foreign Commerce. — Shipbuilding had been carried on 
successfully, and foreign commerce was flourishing. As a 
rule, the shipping merchants were the wealthiest men of 
Philadelphia. Their ships traded with Europe, India, China, 
the West Indies, and South America. Owing to the length 
of many of the voyages, the dependence upon wind and 
weather, and the uncertainty as to arrival, it was a business 
of great risk and of correspondingly large profit or loss. The 
vessels in which the trade was carried on were never larger 
than 500 tons, and many, even of those which sailed in the 
European trade, were not more than 200 tons burden. 

Stephen Girard. — The most successful shipping merchant 
of the time in America was Stephen Girard, whose name and 
fortune are so closely allied with Philadelphia. He was born 
in 1750 not far from Bordeaux, France. He was brought up to 
the sea and became thoroughly familiar with maritime condi- 
tions and opportunties. He went as a cabin boy to the West 
Indies and rose to be a ship's captain. Pie came to Philadelphia 
in 1776, a merchant and shipowner. He had a keen sense of 
the possibilities of trade and admirable judgment, but he was 
nearly forty years old before he became even what might be 

1 It must be remembered that this was before the adoption of the Consti- 
tution of the United States. No State could have passed such a law after the 
adoption. 



COxXDITlONS IN THE STATE ABOUT 1800 195 



called rich. Of his money-making methods there are many 
stories told, most of them of rather doubtful authenticity. 

He was a singular character. When a l)o\' he had lost an 
eye by an accident, and his face was scarred. Soon after 
settling in Philadelphia he married 
the daughter of a Philadelphia ship- 
caulker, but the marriage was an 
unhappy one. He had few friends, 
and lived and worked, so far as 
appeared, to .make money. About 
1796 he moved to 23 North Water 
Street, where he could watch his 
vessels at the wharves; his store 
and ofi&ce adjoined his house. The \. 
latter was richly fitted up with ; 
Italian marble floors, Parisian fur- 
niture, rich carpets, and statuary. 
He was hot-tempered and violent 
to his wife and brothers, and yet his care of those sutYering 
from the yellow fever was tender and self-sacrificing. He 
professed unbelief in Christianity, and yet he subscribed to 
church buildings of various denominations, saying that they 
improved the city. He was rigid in requiring the last cent 
in all business transactions, and rated his employees sound 1}- 
in broken English when any shortcoming was known to him. 

One of the stories told of him is that one of his vessels was 
lying off Cape Francois, Haiti, at the time of the insurrection 
of the blacks. A number of the white planters ])ul their 
valuables on board the ship for safe-keeping and returned 
to shore to take part in attempting to put down the revolt. 
The planters were killed and it was impossible to tind any 
heirs, though Girard made due effort to do so. Oirard finally 




Stephen Girard 



196 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

turned the goods over to his own private account and profited 
thereby many thousand dollars. During the War of 181 2 
one of his vessels was captured near the capes of Delaware 
Bay by a British war-vessel. The vessel and cargo, which 
was from China, were worth at ordinary values about $180,000. 
When Girard heard of the capture he communicated with the 
British admiral, offering to ransom his vessel for $180,000. 
The admiral consented as the risk of recapture was great, 
and released the vessel which was brought to Philadelphia. 
Girard is said to have sold the cargo for more than $480,000. 
The public benefactions of Girard will be noticed later. 

Buildings of the Eighteenth Century. — The Library Com- 
pany of Philadelphia erected a building for itself on Fifth 
Street below Chestnut in 1790. In 1792 Wilham Bingham, a 
wealthy citizen, gave the library a statue of Benjamin Frank- 
Hn cut from Italian marble by Lazzarini, an Itahan sculptor. 
It was placed in a niche in the front wall, and when the library 
was moved to its new building at Locust and Juniper streets, 
a similar position was given to it. In 1792 also the library 
accepted the Loganian library, and still takes charge of its 
books. ^ 

One of the buildings of the eighteenth century which has 
not been mentioned is that of the Pennsylvania Hospital. 
The idea of a hospital for the sick and for the insane origi- 
nated with Dr. Thomas Bond, and was taken up with energy 
by Benjamin Franklin. The hospital was chartered in 1751. 
The Proprietaries having been asked to contribute a lot, offered 
a portion of what is now Frankhn Square, but the city claimed 
that this was pubhc property. So the hospital was started 
in a house on the south side of Market Street above Fifth, 
which was then on the outskirts of the city. It is worthy 
^ They are kept at the Ridgway Branch, Broad and Christian streets. 



CONDITIONS IN THE STATE ABOUT iSoo 



1^)7 



of remembrance that the seven physicians who had charge 
gave their time and services and furnished the (h'ugs and 
medicines besides. In 1755 the managers bought for £500 a 
piece of ground on Pine Street extending from Eighth to 
Ninth streets. The remainder of the block to Spruce Street 



"'.vT'*' n^^ iif <^ '■^"- '**"', \nV-'' . 




The Old Library Company of Philadelphia, 1799 

Stalue of Franklin o\er the door 

was given to the Hospital by the Penn family. The corner 
stone of the first building was laid May 2S, 1755, and the hos- 
pital was opened in 1756. The record of the PennsyKania 
Hospital has been admirable, and the earlier buiUhngs. like 
others of the eighteenth centur}'. are more than pleasing. 
The lead statue of William Penn, which is in front of the 
center building, was given in 1804 by John Penn, grandson 
of William Penn.^ 

1 This statue had belonged to Lord Ic Dcspencer. Franklin saw it in 1775 
and wished to have a copy made for the Hospital, but it is probable that the 
stirring political events prevented an>- action. Lord k- l)esi)eiuer's successor 
sold it for old lead. John Penn saw it in a junk shop, bought it, and sent it 
to the Hospital (1804). 



198 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Philadelphia a Literary Center. — Philadelphia, in the 
latter part of the eighteenth century and for about twenty 
years in the nineteenth, was the literary center of America. 

The early Kterary work was chiefly in the shape of maga- 
zines. As early as 1741 Franklin and Bradford each began 
a magazine, of which Franklin's, The General Magazine and 
Historical Chronicle for all the British Plantations in America^ 
was the most successful. Others were attempted, but they 
usually were continued but a short time. In 1757 The Ameri- 
can Magazine and Monthly Chronicle for the British Colonies 
was begun, with Provost Smith of the University of Penn- 
sylvania as editor. This was a creditable periodical and 
numbered among its contributors Francis Hopkinson, James 
Sterling, and others. Thomas Paine was the editor of the 
Pennsylvania Magazine, begun in 1775; the United States 
Magazine appeared in 1786. Matthew Carey began the 
Columbian Magazine, and then the American Museum^ which 
was chiefly composed of selections from British periodicals. 
All these, and others which might be mentioned, indicate a 
demand for hterature. 

Other pubhcations also testify to the same demand. In 
1782 Robert Aitken pubhshed the first American edition of 
the Bible in EngHsh; in 1790 Thomas Dobson pubhshed the 
first American edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica in 
twenty-one volumes, and it was at Philadelphia that the 
first American edition of Shakespeare was issued in 1795- 
1796. 

One of the most distinguished names of this period in 
Hterature is Charles Brockden Brown, who is usually ac- 
counted as the first American novehst. He was born in 
Philadelphia in 1 771, of an old Chester County Quaker family, 
and he attended the school which is now the WilUam Pcnn 



CONDITIONS IN THE STAIi: ABOUT iSoo 199 

Charter School. He pubUshed live novels (i 798-1804) whiih 
are imaginative and full of mystery and plot. One of them, 
Arthur Mcrvyn. contains a graphic account of the yellow fever 
visitation in Philadelphia, to which Brown himself nearly 
fell a victim. Later Brown became an editor. He died in 
1810. 







Bradford's Printing Office and Book Store 
Adjoining the Old London Tavern in Philadelphia 

The man who had at the time the widest reputation and 
contributed more to the Uterary fame of Philadelphia than 
any other person was Joseph Dennie, a Massachusetts man 
who had been a Harvard student. He founded in 1801 the 
Port Folio, which was continued until his death in 181 2. 
He wrote in a clear and forcible style. He was greatly 
admired. He formed a club which included in its member- 
ship almost all the literary men of the city. About 1820 
Philadelphia lost her Uterary supremacy, which went to New 
England. 



200 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



Education in the Eighteenth Century. — It is strange that 
though there was much Hterary activity in Philadelphia, and 
many highly educated men throughout the State, the general 
condition of education was low. Schools were poor and 
there had been httle or no advance in the system and prac- 
tice of teaching. Though the Constitution had provided for 











Log College Building 

Erected at Neshaminy in 1727 for the school of William Tennant. This 
was the beginning of the Princeton Univ^ersity 

the establishment of free schools for the poor, no effort had 
been made to estabhsh them. One reason for this was that 
schools were carried on by the different denominations either 
directly or indirectly. The WilUam Penn Charter School in 
Philadelphia has already been mentioned. Many prosperous 
schools had also been estabhshed in the country districts; 
by the Quakers near their meeting house; by the Episco- 
paHans, whose schools at Oxford, Chester, Marcus Hook, 
Radnor, and Pequea (Lancaster County) were well known; 



CONDITIONS IN THE STATE ABOUT 1800 201 

and by the Presbyterians, to whose efforts almost all the 
educational opportunities in the western counties were due. 
The Moravians were deeply interested in education, and 
their schools at Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Lititz were justly 
of high repute. Christopher Dock, a Mennonite, is said to 
be the author of the first book on school teaching published 

Advertifements. 

^T the Houfe of George Brownell In &- 

cond Streety ^^ formerly the Houfe cf Mr. John Knight^ 
deccas'd) is taught, Reading, Writing, Cyphering, Dan- 
cing, Plain-work, Marking, with Variety of Necdic-work. 
Where alfo bcholars may board. 

Advertisement of ]Mr. Browxell's School in 171 2 
From the Pennsylvania Gazette 

in America. The Germans were not so much interested in 
education, though the Germantow^n Academy (1760) was 
started by them. 

In appreciation of higher education both the Germans and 
the Quakers were lacking, though in each denomination there 
were notable exceptions, as the Muhlenbergs among the 
Germans, and John Bartram and Nicholas Wain among the 
Quakers. Besides the University of Pennsylvania and Dick- 
inson College, there was Franklin, aftcrw^ards Franklin and 
Marshall, College (1787). State grants were made to acade- 
mies in Philadelphia, Germantown, Pittsburgh, Reading, and 
at other places. In 1799, largely through the influence of 
John Dickinson, the Friends founded a boarding school at 
Westtown, Chester County. Still there was neither a general 
system of public education nor a demand for it. 

Notable Men in the Eighteenth Century. — Among the 
notable men of Pefinsylvania during the latter part of the 



202 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



^s^^XsM^'k 



eighteenth century, besides those already named, there was 
Anthony Wayne, called "Mad Anthony" from the apparent 

recklessness of his military ex- 
ploits. He was a native of Chester 
County, and seems to have been a 
soldier by nature. He entered the 
Continental army in 1776 and rose 
to the rank of Major General. He 
took an active part in the cam- 
paigns of the Middle Colonies, and 
was several times wounded. After 
the Revolution he rose to be Com- 
mander of the United States Army. 
He reduced the Indians of Ohio to 
submission. He died at Presque 
Isle (1796). There is a monu- 
ment to him in the graveyard of 
old St. David's Church, Radnor, Delaware County. 

One of the citizens with a European reputation was David 
Rittenhouse (173 2-1 796), who was of German descent.^ 
He has already been mentioned in connection with running 
the boundary lines of the State. He was a mathematician 
and the best astronomer of his day in America. He made a 
very successful observation of the transit of Venus across the 
sun in 1769, and his work was so accurate and full that he 
attained a world-wide reputation.- He constructed instru- 
ments called orreries to illustrate the movements of the 
planets round the sun, which were much valued. He was a 
radical in politics and gave much time and attention to public 




Anthony Wayne 



1 The family called themselves in early days Rittinghuysen. 

2 His observations were made from a temporary platform in Independence 
Square. 



CONDITIONS IN THE STATE ABOUT iSoo 203 

affairs. He helped to frame the Constitution of the State 
(1776), was State Treasurer (1777-1789), was a member of 
the Board of War, and the first Director of the United States 
Mint. 

Another scientist of world-wide fame, though in a very 
different field, was John Bartram (1699- 1777). He was born 
in Delaware County. He was the first man to make any 
extensive botanical researches in America, and so careful 
and accurate was he that Linnaeus, the great Swedish botanist, 
said that he was ''the greatest natural botanist in the world." 
He was a self-educated man. He bought at a sheriff's sale 
a tract of land on the Darby road, near Philadelphia, where 
he began his botanical garden, the first in America. On this 
lot also he built (1730) with his own hands, the stone house 
which still stands in good preservation. He made several 
journeys, traveling from Canada to Florida in pursuit of 
botanical data and for collecting specimens. He corresponded 
with Dr. John Fothergill and Peter Collinson of London, 
both distinguished scientists. His garden, near Gray's Ferry 
bridge, Philadelphia, is now part of the city park system, and 
still contains some of the trees he planted. 

Among the distinguished foreigners who came to Pennsyl- 
vania during the eighteenth century, or soon after its close, 
was Joseph Priestley (i 733-1804), the chemist and discoverer 
of oxygen, who settled in Northumberland County. John 
James Audubon (i 780-1851), the ornithologist, came from 
Louisiana, in 1798. Alexander Wilson (1766- 1813), also an 
ornithologist, came from Scotland in 1794, followed his trade 
as a weaver, and then taught school at Kingsessing. He 
gained some knowledge of birds from William Bartram, son 
of John Bartram, and became filled witii the desire to describe 
and picture American l)ir(ls. This led to extensive travels. 



204 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 




Robert Fulton 



His work, published in folio volumes, with pictures of birds 
drawn and colored by himself, was the first of this kind, and 

was ably followed at a later date 
by those of Audubon. 

Robert Fulton (1765-18 15) was 
born in Lancaster County, and 
went to Philadelphia when about 
seventeen. He had a decided 
talent for drawing and painting 
and was quite successful as a por- 
trait painter. He must have wit- 
nessed the early efforts of Fitch 
in steamboat navigation. He 
went to England in 1786 and 
studied under Benjamin West, but 
his taste ran to mechanical subjects, and for the rest of his 
life his attention was wholly given to them. The story of his 
success cannot be given here, but he is regarded as the father 
of successful, profitable steam navigation. 

In another field was Benjamin West (i 738-1820) the 
artist, who was of Quaker descent. He was born in a farm- 
house on the grounds now belonging to Swarthmore College 
in what was then part of Chester, but is now in Delaware 
County. He early showed a taste for painting, and began 
painting portraits when he was seventeen. He visited Italy 
in 1760, and went to England in 1763. Here he gained a 
great reputation, becoming President of the Royal Academy 
(1792). He always retained a warm affection for his native 
State. He gave the Pennsylvania Hospital his large painting 
of Christ Healing the Sick.^ He is most celebrated in Amer- 
ica for his painting of Penn's Treaty with the Indians. 

^ Now deposited with the Academy of the Fine Arts. 



CONDITIONS IN THE STATE ABOUT 1800 205 

Benjamin Franklin. Pennsylvania's greatest citizen was 
Benjamin Franklin. So many of his services have alread)- 
been named that it is needful only to mention some thai ha\'e 
been passed over. Nearly all that he did was practical. 



Franklin and the Kite 
After a bronze tablet on the pedestal of the Grcenough statue 

Among other things he estabUshed a sort of debating club 
or mutual improvement society, called the Junto. Here 
chiefly scientific subjects were discussed and I^-ankUn was 
accustomed to announce the results of his experiments in 
various fields. He was all the time observing. He was the 
first to notice that northeast storms moved against the wind 
from the west. In June, 1752, he performed his world-wide 
experiment with a kite, proving that lightning is electrical.' 

^ He gave an account of this experiment in a letter to Peter C'ollinson of 
London, who published it, with the result of greatly adding to Franklin's 
reputation. 



2o6 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Philadelphia was troubled with smoky chimneys. Franklin 
set his wits to work and invented the Frankhn stove, or, 
as he named it, the '' Pennsylvania fireplace," which has 
hardly yet been improved upon. He investigated the phos- 
phorescence which one notices so often at sea; he was largely 
influential in getting the streets of Philadelphia paved; he 
demonstrated the value of plaster on certain soils; in fact, 
his life was full of suggestions in many fields of human 
interest. One part of his work that still remains evident 
was the founding of various institutions. Thus the Penn- 
sylvania Hospital, though first suggested by Dr. Thomas 
Bond, would not have been established when it was had it 
had not been for him. A result of the Junto was the Ameri- 
can Philosophical Society which was started in 1745, and is 
the oldest association of the kind in America. Franklin's 
idea was to form a society composed of scientific and hterary 
men in the various colonies, who should exchange informa- 
tion of what was being done in the various fields of knowl- 
edge. Franklin signed as the first member, and his signature 
is followed by that of John Bartram. Franklin, of course, 
was the first president, and David Rittenhouse was the 
second.^ The Philadelphia Library was also due to him, as 
has been seen. 

^ Franklin's chair is still used by the president of the society. The seat of 
the chair can be turned up, forming a step-ladder — Franklin's own device. 



CHAPTER XVI 



PENNSYLVANIA IN 1800-1817 



Pennsylvania Democratic. — The population of Pennsyl- 
vania in 1790 was 434,373, and in 1800, 602,365 — a large 
increase. The State was prospering in every way. 

With the election of Jefferson, Pennsylvania became at- 
tached to the Democratic-Repubhcan party, later called 
Democratic. Governor McKean, though a Democrat, did 
not go to such an extreme as many of his party. He was 
re-elected in 1802 with a largely increased majority, having 
no opponent except the candidate of the Federalists, who 
were in great disfavor. He was elected for the third time in 
1805 by a small majority. At this election he had as com- 
petitor, Simon Snyder, a German farmer, tanner, and store- 
keeper in Northumberland. Snyder was a man of small 
education but of very considerable ability. He had the 
advantage of being able to speak fluently in both English 
and German. He was a member of the Constitutional Con- 
vention of 1790, was chosen a member of the Legislature, and 
was speaker for six successive terms, so that he was a man 
of wide experience in political affairs. He was a radical in 
politics. In the election for governor in 1808, though he had 
an able and highly educated opponent, James Ross of Pills- 
burgh, Snyder was chosen by the large majority of 28,000. He 
was the first of the governors of German descent, and the first 
who had not been a man of education and i)osilion. Not- 



2o8 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

withstanding the forebodings of the Federalists and their 
prophesies of evil, Snyder made an excellent governor and 
was twice re-elected,^ serving until 1817. 

Political Conditions; ''Orders in Council." — The poUtical 
condition of the United States during the whole of Snyder's 
term of ofhce was one of unrest and experiment, and the 
prosperity which Pennsylvania had enjoyed during the latter 
years of the eighteenth and the earher years of the nine- 
teenth century was much checked by the measures taken by 
the National Government. 

It was the period of the Napoleonic wars, and for a time 
America, being neutral, had profited; but England, in order 
to injure France, determined to put a stop to neutral trade, 
and so either blockaded almost all the western ports of the 
Continent or by her Orders in Council declared them closed. 
Napoleon retaUated by his decrees declaring English ports 
closed. England also claimed the right to stop all vessels to 
see if any British sailors were on board, and to seize or 
impress those she might claim to be such. The result was 
almost fatal to American commerce. If a vessel went to 
Europe without touching at an English port and paying dues 
or taxes on her cargo, she ran the risk of being taken by an 
English war- vessel and condemned. While if she did call at 
an EngUsh port she ran the risk of being captured and con- 
demned by the French. 

Embargo Act. — Jefferson, greatly averse to war, persuaded 
Congress to pass an Embargo Act (1807). This prohibited 
all foreign commerce, and those engaged in the coastwise 
trade were required to give heavy bond that they would not 
trade outside of the United States. This Act produced Httle 

^ According to the Constitution a governor could not serve more than three 
terms. 



PENNSYLVANIA, 1 800-18 17 209 

effect abroad, for American commerce had not then reached 
a volume sufficient to affect Europe seriously by its stoppage. 
But in America the effect was disastrous, and nowhere more 
than in Pennsylvania, for her large commercial trade was 
killed. This reacted first on the manufacturers, and then on 
the farmers, for there was no foreign demand for their 
crops. The consequence was that farm produce went down 
in value, while all imported goods advanced, among them 
sugar, tea, and coffee, which were held at very high prices 
and were scarce. 

The opposition to the Embargo came first from New Eng- 
land, then from Pennsylvania, and later even from the South. 
In 1809 Congress modified its action by passing the Non- 
intercourse Act. This removed all restrictions on trade 
except with England and France, but the good effects 
were comparatively small. Pennsylvania wavered in her 
loyalty to the Democratic party, and had the Presidential 
election of 1808 been decided by popular vote, the state would 
doubtless have gone against Madison.^ 

War of 181 2. — The Embargo was followed by the War of 
181 2, which was, in every way, an unwise step, for the country 
was unprepared for war both financially and from a military 
and naval point of view. The war was provoked chiefly by 
England continuing to impress sailors, though the infringe- 
ment of neutral rights by England, and the Orders in Council 
issued against Napoleon, but highly injurious to America, 
also had their influence. Had there been a telegraphic 
cable, hostilities would hardly have broken out. But the 
men in power, who were the younger members of the Demo- 
cratic party, were eager to fight, and so war was rashly hurried 

^ The electors were chosen by the Legislature. At the election of 1804 the 
State had gone for Jefiferson and Clinton. 



2IO HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

into. Neither America nor Great Britain has much to its 
credit in the land campaign.^ The American navy, it is true, 
gained a number of victories, but it was too small to protect 
the coast, and during the last year of the war few vessels 
could come in or go out of American ports, so thoroughly 
was the Atlantic coast blockaded by the British cruisers.^ 

Perry's Famous Message to General Harrison 

No fighting took place in Pennsylvania. Once an invasion 
seemed imminent when the British forces threatened Balti- 
more; and once an attack by way of Lake Erie seemed prob- 
able, which, however, was prevented by Perry's brilliant 
victory on the Lake. Perry's little fleet was built at Erie 
and manned in part by Pennsylvanians. But if her soil had no 
battle ground, Pennsylvania provided more men and money ^ 
than any other State, and with the exception of Andrew 

^ The only substantial American victory on land was that at New Orleans, 
and it was fought after peace had been made by the American envoys in Europe, 
news of which had not reached America. 

2 There was no regular naval battle on the ocean, the encounter being 
between only two or three vessels at a time. 

^ Pennsylvania spent $268,000 which was afterwards paid by the National 
Government, and about double as much which she assumed herself. 



PENNSYLVAxNIA, 1800-18 17 



211 



Jackson, furnished the most successful general, Jacob Brown. 
He was, like Thomas Mifflin of the Revolution, of a Quaker 
family. He later rose to be general-in-chief of the United 
States Army. 

In the Navy Pennsylvania could point to James Hiddle, 
captain of the Hornet, Charles Stewart,^ cai)tain of the Con- 
stitution' or ''Old Ironsides," 
and to Stephen Decatur, 
who, though born in Mary- 
land, was really a Pennsylva- 
nia n , 2 whose achievements 
are part of national history. 

The blockade of the ports, 
the depression and losses in 
business, and other matters, 
cooled the enthusiasm for 
war. The country became 
sick of it. In Pennsylvania 
at the election for governor 
(18 14) the Federalist candi- 
date received nearly ten times 
as many votes as had been 
cast for the Federalist candidate three years before, and five 
Federalists were sent to Congress. 

Peace; Tariff. — A treaty of peace was signed at (ihent, 
December 24, 1814. A large fleet of merchant vessels had 
been blockaded in the Delaware, and when the news of peace 




]:^^-:/t 



The " Constitution 

Launchfd in i 707 



^ Charles Stewart was the maternal j^randtatluT of Charles Stewart I'arnell. 
the celebrated Irish leader. 

2 His parents left Philadelphia durinf,^ the British on ui)ati()n; while sojourn- 
ing in Maryland their son was born; he was brought to Philadelphia when 
three months old. 



212 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

arrived they were soon at sea. Before long many vessels 
arrived from England, laden with goods for the American 
market. It had been nearly eight years since there had been 
any free entrance for foreign goods. At first enormous profits 
were made, with the result of vastly stimulating speculation. 
The usual results followed; the demand slackened, and then 
almost ceased. The supply of foreign-made goods almost 
destroyed the demand for homemade goods and brought 
financial disaster to manufacturers and merchants.^ It was 
natural that American manufacturers should clamor for 
protection from foreign competition. Philadelphia and Pitts- 
burgh, generally political enemies, were now at one in demand- 
ing a protective tariff. Since this time Pennsylvania has 
been the great advocate of protection. 

Alexander J. Dallas, an able Pennsylvania lawyer, had 
been appointed Secretary of the Treasury in Madison's 
cabinet soon after Gallatin was appointed one of the Peace 
Commissioners. Dallas was a supporter of a protective 
tariff, and used all his influence to secure one. 

Financial Difficulties. — The charter of the first Bank of 
the United States expired by limitation in 1811, the Demo- 
cratic Congress having dechned to renew it.- This action 
left the United States government without any fiscal agent. 
The result was that, added to the natural disorder of the 
finances attendant upon war, the financial condition of the 
country became exceedingly bad. Albert Gallatin, though 
a Democrat, was strongly in favor of a renewal of the charter 

1 Foreign goods were generally sold at auction. After the demand had 
slackened the prices at which goods could be obtained was far below the cost 
of home production, and even below the cost of importation. 

2 The House passed the bill, but it was lost in the Senate by a tie vote. T'lie 
Vice-President, Cleorge Clinton, recorded his disapproval of the measure by 
voting in the negative. 



PENNSYLVANIA, 1S00-1817 213 

of the Bank, pointing out the dangers which might be looked 
for if the charter shoukl not be renewed; but it was in vain; 
party feeUng ran too strongly. 

Stephen Girard, a skilled financier himself, could not believe 
that the bill would fail, and finding the English stockholders 
were anxious to sell, bought largely of their stock, and lost 
in proportion. But when the Bank w^as closed he bought 
the splendid marble building on South Third Street, Phila- 
delphia, and estabUshed a bank of his ow^n, which he con- 
ducted so successfully • that his notes were among the very 
few that never depreciated in value. He had by this time 
become a very wealthy man and was able to conduct large 
transactions with ease. 

In 18 13 the credit of the National Government was almost 
gone. The country was discontented and the New England 
States openly talked of secession. The government receipts 
had fallen far below the expenses and the need of a loan was 
urgent, but an attempt at popular subscription was a failure. 
At this juncture Girard and a few other wealthy men sub- 
scribed for the whole amount of the proposed loan, and the 
effect on the public was seen at once; people became eager 
to subscribe on the original terms, and the bankers sold at 
handsome profits.^ But it must be remembered that the risk 
w^as great; their action was really patriotic- 
Second Bank of the United States. — Through the inllu- 
ence of Dallas and others the second Bank of the United 
States was chartered by Congress in 18 16. The stock was 
not taken very rapidly. Girard, who highly approved of 
the project, waited until the last day for receiving subscrip- 

^ Girard oiTercd the government 88 per cent, and asked (> ])er lent interest. 
2 A somewhat similar incident happened (hiring the ("i\il War when the 
New York banks came to the aid of the National (Jovernnient. 



214 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

tions, and then put down his name for all the stock not sub- 
scribed for, amounting to over $3,000,000. At once there 
was a great demand, and Girard sold half of his holdings 
for what he had paid for the whole. As before, the Bank 
was estabUshed in Philadelphia, and a handsome marble 
building was erected for it on Chestnut street.^ 

A protective tariff bill passed by Congress in 18 16 was ably 
supported by Samuel D. Ingram, a Pennsylvanian, and by 
Henry Clay.^ 

Pennsylvania Banks. — For the first ten years of the cen- 
tury there were only two banks in Pennsylvania besides the 
Bank of the United States: these were the Bank of North 
America and the Bank of Pennsylvania. These had branches 
for deposit in Pittsburgh, Lancaster, and Reading. In 181 1, 
when the Bank of the United States went out of business, 
many State banks were organized. In 18 14 a bill for charter- 
ing forty or more banks passed the Legislature, which Gov- 
ernor Snyder vetoed; but it was passed over his veto. A 
few years later there were nearly sixty banks in the State. 
Much paper money was issued on too small resources, and 
the large issues gave rise to speculation. Farmers who had 
mortgaged their farms in the hard times were compelled to 
sell at heavy loss, or even to surrender their farms to their 
creditors. The failure of the weaker banks increased the 
financial troubles and there was much real distress in the year 
1819. 

Immigration ; Reforms. — The immigration from Ireland 
of a large number of the poorer class began about this 
time; while from Germany came many who repeated the 
redemptioner days of the early history of the State. Other 

^ This is now (1Q13) the United States Custom House. 

2 The (kities were levied chiefly on cotton and woolen goods and on sugar. 



PENNSYLVANIA, 1800-1817 215 

immigrants came from England who were genera 11>- well-to-do 
and were a welcome addition to the population. 

The hard times had brought much poverty, many men not 
being able to secure work. Various means, such as soup 
kitchens, fuel societies, and charity societies were organized 
to help the needy, and gave temporary relief. Examination 
into the causes of the poverty revealed how much intemper- 
ance added to the distress. It was shown that the number 
of hcensed houses for the sale of liquor was very large, and 
a petition was sent by the Philadelphia City Council to the 
Legislature asking for a reduction of the number.^ In fact, 
there was a wave of reform going through the State. Lot- 
teries, which were common, began to be looked upon with 
serious doubts as to their moral effects, and the feeling 
increased against imprisonment for debt, which was about 
this time abolished. 

Prisons also claimed attention, and Pennsylvania gained 
widespread reputation by the establishment of a State's 
prison in which more humane treatment of the prisoners was 
introduced, and a system of solitary confinement adopted, 
the prisoner being required to labor at some mechanical 
trade. 

1 " There were more licensed houses for ihe sale of Hquor in rb.ihuk'lphia 
in 181 7 than eighty years later." 



CHAPTER XVII 

POLITICS AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS EDUCATION 

Politics; Internal Improvements. — Governor Snyder, 
having served three terms, was ineligible for re-election, and 
William Findlay, who had been State treasurer for a number 
of years, was nominated by the Democrats, and after a 
campaign marked by bitter personalities, was chosen governor 
by a small majority (1817). Early in 18 10 Governor Snyder 
had approved the Act establishing Harrisburg as the capital. 
The government ofhces were removed to that town in 181 2, 
and on May 31, 18 19, the corner stone of the capitol was laid. 
The building was first occupied in January, 1822.^ 

Findlay served only one term (18 17-1820). He was a 
strong advocate of internal improvements, especially by 
opening the rivers for navigation and by constructing canals. 

All kinds of schemes were put forth. It was even pro- 
posed by an elaborate plan of improving the navigation of 
the Schuylkill, the Swatara, the Juniata, and other streams, 
to connect Philadelphia with the Pacific coast, only seventy- 
five miles of canal, it was claimed, being necessary to com- 
plete the route. Other and more sensible schemes were to 
join the Schuylkill and Susquehanna with the Great Lakes, 
and the Susquehanna with the Schuylkill. The latter was 
done, so that boats could be taken to Philadelphia by way 
of the latter river. But the Erie Canal with its easy grades 
did away with nearly all competition from Pennsylvania in 
the western trade by means of canals, and was a large factor 

^ The Legislature had previously made use of the County Court House. 



POLITICS AND INTERNAL LMPROVEMENTS 217 



in aiding New York City to continue to outstrip IMiiladelphia 
in population and commerce. 

Later, the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal joined Delaware 
and Chesapeake Bay; and the Delaware and Raritan Canal, 
uniting the Delaware River and Raritan Bay, just below New 
York City, joined the two greatest cities of the Union, to the 







^.^ -'/^//^ 






- .^1 




'1 



.^ -Mi 



r'lMi: % 



The Old State Capitol, i 819-1897 



^^^-^ '': ■ 



advantage of each. So great was the interest in internal 
improvements that in 18 17 Pennsylvania appropriated 
$500,000 for roads, bridges, and canals. Nowhere in the 
country were there more miles of turnpikes, or longer or 
finer bridges. 

One extensive scheme, however — that of uniting Pitts- 
burgh and Philadelphia — was in time fi83i-i8^:;2) accom- 
plished. A canal was built from Pittsburgli to Johnstown, 
one hundred and four miles, where the boats were carried 
over the mountains by what was called a Portage Railroad, 



2l8 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



on which cars, or canal boats in sections loaded upon cars, were 
drawn up and let down inclined planes by means of stationary 
engines and endless wire ropes. There were five of these 
incUned planes on each side of the Alleghany Mountams; 




Carrying Canal Boats over the Alleghany Mountains 



the eastern terminus of the Portage Road was at Hollidays- 
burg and the western at Johnstown.^ 

Introduction of Anthracite Coal. — One of the largest and 
most valuable industries of Pennsylvania — that of mining 
anthracite coal — dates from this period. Hard coal had been 
used in small quantities as early as 1798, and bituminous, or 
soft coal, had been in use at Pittsburgh, but as wood was cheap 
httle effort was made to use hard coal. The story is told that 
some boatloads of hard coal were sent from Mauch Chunk 
to Philadelphia, but there was no sale and the coal was used 
to pave sidewalks. 

^ The establishment of the Pennsylvania Railroad did away with the Portage 
system. 



POLITICS AND INTERNAL LMrROVKMKNTS 219 

In 181 2 two men, Josiah White and Erskine Hazard, were 
partners in making iron wire. They bought a cart-load of 
hard coal and tried to use it in their furnace, but unsuccess- 
fully. Another load was tried, but the heat needed could not 
be obtained. After trying all night the workmen shut the door 
of the furnace and went off in disgust. But one of them had 
forgotten his coat, and returning in half an hour to get it, 
found the coal in the furnace red hot. The iron was heated and 
rolled and the use of anthracite in manufacturing was demon- 
strated. The whole dithculty had been in the matter of draft. 

Josiah White, a shrewd business man, saw some of the 
possibilities which lay in the mining of coal, and also the 
importance of facihties for getting it to market. He set 
about the matter wisely. Two companies, the Lehigh Coal 
Company and the Lehigh Navigation Company, were formed^ 
(1818); a lease of coal lands for twenty years was secured, 
and a good road made from the mines to Mauch Chunk. The 
next thing was to improve the navigation of the Lehigh River; 
this was done under the personal supervision of Josiah White. 
The task involved an immense amount of labor, and many 
ingenious contrivances for securing ample water were devised. 
Special boats were constructed out of planks cut in the neigh- 
borhood of the mines. These boats made but one trip and 
were then taken apart at Philadelphia, sold for lumber, and 
the spikes and iron work returned to Mauch Chunk b)- land 
to be used over again. 

Hard coal was slow in coming into favor, for the stoves and 
furnaces in use were not adapted to burning it, and grates had 
to be altered. It was also feared that the supply might give 
out, so Uttle was known concerning the vast deposits. In 

^ These companies were afterwards combined under the now widely known 
name of the Lehigh Coal and Xavij^ation Company. 



220 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

1820 three hundred and eighty-five tons completely stocked 
the market. Effort was made to bring the coal into use 
by having in pubhc places stoves burning it, by instructing 
firemen how to use it, and in other ways. The demand in- 




J') \T 




Lehigh River at Mauch Chunk 



creased rapidly, and in 1826 over 31,000 tons were carried on 
the Lehigh system, and 16,000 byway of the Schuylkill, the 
latter trade having been opened to Philadelphia in 1825 by 
means of dams across the river, making what is known as slack 
water navigation. The ability to use coal in smelting iron, 
which was discovered later, vastly increased the demand.^ 

In 18 18 Congress had passed a special Act for the protection 
of iron manufacturers, which stimulated both the mining and 
the manufacturing of iron, to the great advantage of Pennsyl- 
vania, as foreign competition was effectually cut off. 

Pittsburgh. — Perhaps the place that profited most by 
the development of the coal and iron industries was Pitts- 

^ The first successful use of hard coal in this connection is said to have been 
in 1837 at Mauch Chunk by Joseph Baughman, Julius Guiteau, and Henry 
High of Reading. 



POLITICS AND INTERNAL LMLR()\ I:M K.\ IS 221 

burgh. The growth of the town at first was rather slow. It 
was not until 1804 that the first iron foundry was established 
by Joseph McClurg. But it was not to iron or coal that the 
town owed its first start in rapid development, but to steam- 
boat navigation. As early as 18 10 a steamboat was begun, 



.^ 



iii 



■"■,^H,;v^;--.-T,-;^ ^- P 



^IPip'^ 






%. 









.-■^r ^: 



A 




I t( 



u^'i 






Old Pittsburgh Market and first Alle(;heny County 
Court House 

and in March, 181 1, it was launched — the first steamboat 
built or run on western waters. It was one hundred and 
thirty-eight feet long and of about three hundred tons burden. 
It was called the ^ew Orleans. It left for that city on Decem- 
ber 24, 181 1, and arrived safely. Soon the business of steam- 
boat building became a large industry and the steamboat 
trade became extensive. 

In 1816 Pittsburgh was a flourishing town of 10.000 inhab- 
itants; there were over forty trades carried on. and e\-cr\thing 
was prosperous. In that year it was chart eri'd as a city and 



222 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

has since maintained its rank in the State as second only to 
Philadelphia. 

Other Cities. — The roads, the canals, the improved navi- 
gation of the rivers, all contributed vastly to the prosperity 
of the State. Many vessels were built in the shipyards on 
the Delaware, and maritime commerce was profitable. It 
is stated that about two thousand vessels sailed from Phila- 
delphia each year. 

To see what the natural advantages of Pennsylvania have 
done for the State it is only needful to call to mind the names 
of such cities as Reading, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Easton, 
Mauch Chunk, WilHamsport, and others. . 

Nominating Conventions. — To Pennsylvania may be 
credited the beginning of a political method which has had 
great vogue, but the real value of which is now being ques- 
tioned by many — the nominating convention. The Presi- 
dent of the United States and the governors of the States had 
usually been nominated by caucuses of the Congress or Legis- 
lature, as the case might be. The Democrats of Delaware 
County in 1807, in view of the fact that they had no voice in 
the nomination of the governor, proposed that delegates 
should be chosen to nominate candidates for office. The 
suggestion was partly adopted, and in 18 17 Governor Find- 
lay was nominated in this way, and in 1820 the method was 
adopted by both parties. ''The Pennsylvania Plan," as it 
was called, spread to other States, was adopted by the 
national parties, and has been employed ever since. 

An important convention was held in the interests of the 
doctrine of protection at Harrisburg in 1827. There were 
about one hundred delegates present from different States. 
A schedule of suggested duties was issued, calling for in- 
creased duties upon almost everything. Congress, at the 



POLITICS AND INTERNAL IMPROVE^IENTS 223 

next session, passed a bill agreeing with many of the recom- 
mendations of the convention. 

Pennsylvania Politics, 1825-1830. — Pennsylvania gave 
her vote to Jackson for the Presidency both in 1824 and 18 28, 
though in 1824 she chose Joseph Hiester, a fusion candidate, 
as governor. Another man of German descent, he made a 
good official, but declined to run a second time. He was 
succeeded by John Andrew Schulze, still another German. 
He was a cultivated man of high character. At the election 
of 1826 he was chosen for a second term with practically no 
opposition, less than twenty-five hundred votes being cast 
against him. This election marked the extinction of the old 
Federalist party in Pennsylvania. 

During Governor Schulze's terms of office extensive works 
of internal improvement were carried on. The State had 
good credit, and this very fact led to planning extensive 
improvements which were to be paid for with borrowed 
money. By 1829 six and a half million dollars had been 
expended on the public works and half as much more was 
needed to complete them. 

The Federalist party having come to an end, there was 
room for a new one. This was found in the short-lived Anti- 
Masonic Party.^ This party first made its appearance in 
Pennsylvania in the election for governor in 1829. The 
Democrats nominated George Wolf of Northampton County, 
a capable and excellent man. Though he was chosen by a 
good majority, so many votes were cast for his opponent 

^ A certain William Morgan of New York, a Mason, declared that he would 
publish a book revealing the secrets of the order. In a short time Morgan 
disappeared and was never heard of again. The Masons were charged with 
murdering him and a violent feeling arose against them. This made its way 
into politics, and exercised great influence, especially in New York and Penn- 
sylvania. 



2 24 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

that it was evident that the new Anti-Masonic party would 
have to be reckoned with for a time. 

Public Schools; Educational Methods. — Governor Wolf 
deserves to be remembered for his strong advocacy of a free 
public school system. It will be remembered that the Con- 
stitution of 1790 encouraged education by stating that "the 
Legislature shall as soon as conveniently may be, provide by 
law for the establishment of schools throughout the State 
in such manner that the poor may he taught gratis ^ "The 
arts and sciences shall be promoted in one or more seminaries 
of learning." This latter clause had been acted upon liber- 
ally, for prior to 1820 about $250,000 had been given to vari- 
ous higher institutions of learning ^ as well as to academies. 
The method was not considered satisfactory, especially as 
regarded the academies. 

Laws passed at various times provided for the education 
of the children of those who were unable to meet the charges, 
by directing the county treasurer to pay the school bills, but 
this was not very successful. Later, in 181 2, a special act 
for the city and county of Philadelphia provided for the 
establishment of public schools, at which "the poor may be 
taught gratis.'' All these measures made a distinction 
between the poor and the rich, which was most undesirable 
and even hurtful.^ This movement was much furthered, if 
not suggested, by the introduction of what is known as the 
Lancastrian system ^ of education. The principle of this is 
that one good teacher is enough for any school of reasonable 

^ These included the University of Pennsylvania, Franklin College, Jeffer- 
son, Washington, Allegheny, Western University, Lafayette, Madison, Penn- 
sylvania, and Marshall. 

2 Later this measure was extended to other cities and counties. 

^ So named from the inventor, Joseph Lancaster, an English Quaker. 



POLITICS AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS 225 

size. The master taught the pupils farthest advanced, these 
pupils, or selected ones, taught those below them, and so on. 
The schoolroom was divided by curtains and from a platform 
the master supervised the whole work. But a skilled master 
was essential for even moderate success. These schools were 
far better than none, but even in them only the poor were 
taught gratis. 

It is certainly a strange thing that in such a state as Penn- 
sylvania there was as late as 1831 no adequate school system. 
There were good schools in Philadelphia and its vicinity, and 
in some of the northern counties, but the State as a whole 
was very deficient, so much so that it was estimated 
that the number of persons unable to read and write was 
370,000.^ One reason of the small number of free schools 
was the opinion held by many that the State had no legal 
right to appropriate money except for the poor. At last the 
Supreme Court of the State decided that the Constitutional 
provision did not forbid the use of pubHc funds for others than 
the poor. This decision settled the Constitutional question. 

Education Act of 1834. — Governor Wolf, who had himself 
been a teacher, took up the matter of education vigorously, 
but with comparatively little success until his second term of 
office, when the first genuine Education Act of the State was 
passed in 1834, called an ''Act to establish a general system 
of education by common schools." This act, which was 
passed by an almost unanimous vote, was drafted by Samuel 
Breck of Philadelphia, a New Englander who had come to 
Pennsylvania, whose services in the matter were wholly 
philanthropic. The State was divided into districts, and the 

^ It was estimated that the children attendinj; sclux)! at the |)ubhc- expense 
in 1833 were only about one fifty-sixth of the entire population, whereas the 
school enrollment at the present time is about one-fifth of the population. 



2 26 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Act provided for the election of school directors. Districts 
were not required to establish schools, but if they did not 
they received no money for schools either from the State or 
from the county taxes. Manual labor was allowed to be 
taught, and the whole law was liberal. 

Strange to say, the controversy regarding schools was 
even greater after the passage of the law than before it. The 
vote as to the acceptance or rejection of the provisions of 
the Act was held in the autumn of 1834, and about one-half 
of the districts either voted No or held no election. The 
Lutherans, the German Reformed, the Mennonites, and the 
Quakers generally opposed the measure on the ground that 
having schools of their own they did not wish to see them 
discontinued. These were joined by the ignorant and the con- 
servatives. The opposition was strongest in the German 
counties. Another reason for the opposition was that in the 
public schools there would be no religious instruction. This 
feeling was especially strong among the Germans and the 
Quakers. 

So strong was the opposition that the matter was carried 
to the next Legislature. In the Senate the anti-school men 
had a two-thirds majority and passed a repeal by a vote of 
two to one. In the House there was also a strong feehng for 
repeal, and had it not been for two able and strong men, it 
is quite possible that the law would have been repealed. One 
of these was Governor Wolf, who said to the Legislature, 
''If you dare to repeal, I will veto, and make the common 
school question the issue of the next election." The other 
advocate of the law was Thaddeus Stevens, a young man 
from Vermont, who was a representative from Adams County. 
With vigorous language and great eloquence, he threw all his 
strength in support of the bill, vowing that he would even 



POLITICS AND INTERNAL LMPROVEMENTS 227 

give up his part)' feelings and all issues in sup^^ort of the 
measure. His efforts and those of his allies were successful; 
the repeal was defeated. Changes were made in the Act 
itself, which gave it additional strength and clearness. Noth- 
ing else that Thaddeus Stevens did in his long political career 
was as useful and commendable as this action of his early 
days. Governor Wolf was defeated at the next election 
(1835) chiefly for his support of the school system. 

On account of a division in the Democratic party, Joseph 
Ritner, the nominee of the Anti-Masonic party was chosen. 
He was supported by the Whigs.^ Ritner was a warm 
advocate of the school system, advised increased aid to 
the schools, and had the satisfaction of seeing the appropria- 
tion raised from $75,000 to $400,000. Since his time no one 
has thought of opposing a public school system. 

There was at this time also an increase of interest in higher 
education as is shown by the establishment of several colleges, 
among them Lafayette (1832), Pennsylvania (at Gettysburg) 
(1832), Haverford (1833). 

Death of Stephen Girard; His WiU. — ^Stephen Ciirard, 
the richest- man of his day in America, died December 26, 
1 83 1, without direct descendants. He left, with the excep- 
tion of very moderate bequests to relatives, the whole of his 
large estate for pubHc purposes. It was a peculiar will and 
was contested by his relatives, but without success.'^ A large 
bequest of land in Louisiana was made to the city of New 
Orleans, and all the rest was left to the city of Philadelphia 

1 The old Federalists and llu' Xalional Republicans k-d l)y Henry Clay 
assumed this name at about this time. 

- He was worth about $8,000,000. 

•' Certain ])roi)erty acquired by C.irard alter the siKuin.u of his will, was 
j^iven by the courts to the contestants; and tiie cil>- of New Orleans lost its 
bequest. 



228 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



for various public improvements, and for the establishment 
of a school or college for the education of orphan boys. 

Girard College. — Owing to the lawsuits, the financial 
crisis of 1837, and other causes, the opening of the institution 
was long delayed. The site was one selected by Girard himself 
in what is now the northern part of the city.^ The main 
building, one of the finest specimens of Greek classic archi- 




Main Building of Girard College 



tecture in the United States, was designed by Thomas U. 
Walter of Philadelphia. The white marble of which the 
building is constructed came chiefly from Chester and Mont- 
gomery counties, Pennsylvania. The corner stone was laid 
in 1833, but the buildings were not finished until 1847. The 
institution was opened January i, 1848, with one hundred 
pupils. In 191 2 there were 1520. 

Girard's provisions for the building and other matters were 
minute, and almost impossible to carry out in detail. The 
provision which caused the most comment was that which 

1 Ciinird had originally fixed the site on the block iKnnulcd by JMarket, 
Chestnut, I'^levcnth and Twelfth streets. 



POLITICS AND INTERNAL LMI'R()\ KM lATS 220 

required that "no ecclesiastic, missionary, or minister of anv 
sect whatsoever, shall ever hold or exercise any station or (hit}- 
whatever in said college, nor shall any such person ever be 
admitted for any purpose or as a visitor, within the premises 
appropriated for the purposes of said college." Girard 
stated that by this restriction he simply meant to keep the 
boys free from the effects of "clashing doctrines and sectarian 
controversy." He desired, however, that "the purest princi- 
ples of morality" should "be instilled into the minds of the 
scholars." Religious instruction has always been given in 
the institution, but by laymen, and not by ecclesiastics. 

Owing to good management, the rise in value of real estate, 
and of the coal lands, the original estate has increased in \alue 
about four fold, making Girard College one of the most richly 
endowed schools in the world. Orphans and half-orj)han ^ 
boys between six and ten years of age are admitted, but must 
leave when eighteen. The preference is to be given first to 
boys born in the old city of Philadelphia, then other parts 
of Pennsylvania, the city of New York, and New Orleans. 
All expenses are paid by the college. 

President Jackson and the Bank. A subject which was 
of great interest to Pennsylvania about this time was con- 
nected with national affairs. Pennsylvania prided herself on 
having two great national institutions within her boundaries 
— the United States Mint and the Bank of the United 
States. The Bank was an institution which had been of 
great service to the country, and had its directors kept out of 
politics there is little doubt that it would have had a much 
longer lease of life. There was, however, a popular feeling 
against banks. President Andrew Jackson was o])i)osed to 

1 By decision of the Supremo C'ourl an ()ri)han "was held 1<> hi' a l)o> who 
had lost his father." 



230 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

the Bank, but probably because it was controlled by his polit- 
ical enemies. These believed that they could injure Jackson 
through the Bank. So, though it was about four years 
before the charter would expire, a bill for its renewal was 
brought into Congress in 1832. Henry Clay was the leader 
in the struggle for renewal, in which he was ably seconded by 
Nicholas Biddle, the president of the Bank. In the struggle 
for a charter all kinds of political measures were adopted. 
The friends of the Bank were successful in getting a bill to 
recharter through Congress. But Jackson promptly vetoed 
it, and the cause was lost. 

But the trouble did not end here, for Jackson was a man 
who liked to reward his friends and punish his enemies, and 
his enemies he considered the enemies of the country. He 
determined to injure the Bank and its friends as much as 
possible, and so ordered that no more government deposits 
should be made in it. As the government was constantly 
withdrawing money the Bank soon had no government 
funds.^ The Bank continued business in a moderate way 
till the expiration of the charter (1836), when it received a 
charter from the State, but it never recovered its former 
position of importance. It was able to weather the severe 
financial crisis of 1837, but was obliged to close its doors 
early in 1841.^ 

1 So ill-advised did such a plan seem that Jackson's Secretary of the Treas- 
ury, William J. Duane, a Pennsylvanian, refused to obey and was dismissed. 
His successor also declined and was also removed. Roger B. Taney, afterwards 
Chief Justice of the United States, was then appointed and carried out the 
wishes of his chief. 

2 Nicholas Biddle had resigned in 1839, but he and his associates were prose- 
cuted. There was, however, no proof of any dishonorable action brought 
forward. The crisis of 1837 and unwise management, to which was added 
bitter political opposition, caused the failure. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS, 1835-1845 

Constitution of 1838. — The Constitution adopted in 1790 
was not satisfactory to many, and almost at once efforts were 
made for its revision. If it had not been feared that a 
change might be for the worse a revision would doubtless 
soon have been made. By 1825 the feeling had grown so 
strong that the question was submitted to a popular vote, 
which was against revision. Ten years later the question was 
submitted again and an affirmative vote was the result. The 
Whigs were against a revision, while the Democrats supported 
one. As in former elections the northern and western counties 
were in favor of change, and the eastern counties opposed it. 
At the election for delegates to a convention the parties were 
so equally represented that there were chosen sixty-six Whigs 
and Anti-Masons, sixty-six Democrats, and one doubtful dele- 
gate. As this man usually voted with the Whigs, the result 
was a more conservative document than would otherwise have 
been the case. The convention met at Harrisburg, May 2, 1837, 
and continued its sessions at Harrisburg and at Philadelphia 
until February 22, 1838, when the work was completed. 

The delegates were an able body of men and the debates 
were exceedingly creditable. On the whole the changes were 
not radical. A few of the most important wore: Senators 
were to be elected for three years instead of four one-third 
to be chosen annually; terms of governors and legislative 
sessions were to begin on the first Tuesday in January instead 
of in December; the qualifications for electors were made 



232 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

less strict — one year's residence in the State and ten days in 
the election district, instead of two years' residence. The 
old document allowed any freeman to vote, the new one in- 
serted the word ''white." In consequence of the insertion 
of this word Thaddeus Stevens refused to sign the document, 
although he was a delegate.^ 

An article providing for amendment was also inserted. 
But probably the most important change was that which 
limited the appointing power of the governor. He was given 
the power to appoint the secretary of the commonwealth, and 
with the advice and consent of the Senate, all the judges; but 
all county ofhcers were made elective. The terms of the 
judges, which had been "during good behavior," were 
changed to fifteen years for Supreme Court judges, ten years 
for those of lower rank, and five years for associate judges. 
Judges also were made removable by the governor on appli- 
cation of the Legislature. 

The popular vote took place in October, 1838, and the new 
constitution was adopted by the small majority of twelve 
hundred in a large poll. 

Pennsylvania Finances. — Meantime the finances of Penn- 
sylvania were in a bad condition. The zeal for public im- 
provements had carried the Legislature in its appropriations 
far beyond the limits of safety. Near the end of Governor 
Ritner's term of office (1838) the State debt was about 
$30,000,000,^ and the annual expenses of the State were 
several hundred thousand dollars beyond its income. On 

^ Negroes had voted in some places. 

2 Of this amount about $22,000,000 had been spent since 1826 on internal 
improvements. The extent of these may be judged by the fact that in 1835 
lliere were in the State about six hundred miles of canals and slack-water navi- 
gation, and one hundred and eighteen miles of railroads. The tolls of the 
State for the year ending October 31, 1835, were $684,000. 



POLITICAL AND FINANXIAL COXDITIOXS 233 

June 19, 183S, a Hood in the Juniata carried a\va\ lort\- miles 
of canal and $400,000 were borrowed from the Hank of the 
United States to pay for repairs.' To complete the system 
of canals several milHons more were needed, and in addition 
to this, earlier loans would soon fall due. The hnancial 
outlook for the State was certainly "gloomy. 





obverse reverse 

The Great Seal of the State of Pexxs\'lvaxta 

Election of 1838; "Buckshot War." There was an ek'c- 
tion for governor in 1838. The united Whigs renominated 
Ritner, while the reunited Democrats selected David Ritten- 
house Porter. This campaign has never been surpassed for 
hard feehng and for bitter personal attacks and false charges. 
A prominent leader and one unequak^d for the viok-nce of 
his attacks was Thaddeus Stevens. The ekxTion gave the 
Legislature a Whig majority in the Senate, whik^ the House 
was almost equally divided — so nearly so that the control 
depended upon which of the two contesting delegations from 
Philadelphia should be seated. So there were two s]")eakers, 
and the two parts, each claiming to be the true House, 
held sessions sometimes together and somelinu-s sej)araU'l\ . 
A crowd or mob gathered at Harrisburg, invatk-d the state 
' This was done without logislativf authoritw 



234 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

house, and by its threatening and riotous conduct greatly 
increased the confusion. Once the Whig speaker was carried 
bodily from his place into the aisle, and Thaddeus Stevens 
was so threatened that he jumped out of a back window 
twelve feet from the ground. Governor Ritner called out 
the mihtia "to quell the insurrection," and meantime with 
a band of workmen took possession of the State Arsenal. 
General Robert Patterson with a force of mihtia soon reached 
Harrisburg, but refused to do anything but protect pubhc 
property. Buckshot was ordered for these men, and those 
who were to supply it were waylaid and the shot taken from 
them. Hence the name "Buckshot War." Fortunately the 
struggle was ended without any shooting. Three of the 
Whigs in the House went over to the Democrats, by whom 
the House was then organized. The result was accepted by 
the Senate, and this disgraceful quarrel was ended. 

Financial Difficulties. — David R. Porter was chosen gov- 
ernor by a comparatively small majority. His term of olhce 
came in troublous times, for there were many difficulties 
to face in political, financial, and social matters; indeed, it is 
doubtful whether there has been a period in the history of 
the State when there was such a combination of difficulties. 

The treasury was not only bare of funds, but there was 
a continual demand for money to carry on the work of public 
improvements which could not well be stopped without heavy 
loss. Besides this, so far as appeared, there would be no 
funds to meet the interest soon due on the State bonds. 
The banks refused to advance money, and indeed, owing to 
the state of the money market and the recent financial 
crisis, they were unable to do so. Governor Porter suc- 
ceeded in raising several millions and for a time tided over 
the danger. Notwithstanding all his efforts, the Legislature 



POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS 235 

adjourned without making sufficient provision for the claims 
upon the State. He called it together again and new loans 
and taxes were authorized, but still the indebtedness of the 
State increased, and certificates instead of cash were given 
in payment of interest due. These, of course, increased the 
debt still further and depressed the value of the bonds until 
they fell to one-half their face value. As a considerable 
portion of the debt was 'held in England, there was much 
hard feeling there which was expressed in sharp words by 
Sydney Smith, the great essayist. "The fraud," he wrote, 
"is committed in the profound peace of Pennsylvania by 
the richest State in the Union. ... It is an act of bad 
faith which has no parallel and no excuse." In his bitter 
sarcasm he said that he intended to sell his Pennsyhania 
stock at forty per cent discount and buy Abyssinian bonds, 
or Turkish Fours, or Tunis three-and-a-half per cents. ^ 

It should be stated that in a few years Pennsylvania paid 
all her indebtedness, principal and interest, with interest on 
the deferred interest. But the previous non-payment remains 
as a fact to which patriotic Pennsylvanians look back with a 
feehng of humiliation. It was not until 1845, when the 
State debt had reached $40,000,000, that a soHd foundation 
for the State finances was reached, and from that time the 
credit of Pennsylvania has been of the highest. 

Mismanagement of Public Works. — The State also suft'ered 
greatly from the mismanagement of the public works (canals 
and railroads). Very often they were used for the pri\ate 
benefit of the officials, whose political friends were given 
special rates and privileges, while political opponents were 
charged high rates and were obstructed in their business. 

^ The poet Wordsworth, who was also an investor, gave vent to his feelings 
in a sonnet. 



236 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



The dissatisfaction was so great that in 1844 a bill was passed 
authorizing the question of selling the State works to be sub- 
mitted to a popular vote. This was done and the vote was 
an afhrmative one. The terms of sale were left to the Legis- 
lature, and it was some years before the sales were completed. 
Early Railroads. — The experiments of Oliver Evans in 
road travel by means of steam have already been referred to. 
The first railroad or track for vehicles to run upon in Penn- 
sylvania is to be credited to Thomas Leiper, who Hved near 
Chester. He built in 1809 a track made of oak rails laid on 
blocks eight feet apart. On this a single horse could draw 
five tons of stone. The line was about a mile long and was 
used to carry stone from his quarries to Ridley creek, from 
which it was shipped by water to Philadelphia and elsewhere. 
This road was in use for many years. 

The next railroad in Pennsylvania was one from the coal 
mines near Mauch Chunk to the Lehigh River, about nine 

miles long (1827). Like 
Leiper's road, the cars 
were drawn by horses. 
The first steam road 
was opened in 1829, 
when the Delaware 
and Hudson Canal 
Company ran a 
locomotive from its 
coal mines to Hones- 
dale.i 

The first railroad 
for both freight and passengers was the Philadelphia, Ger- 
mantown, and Norristown road. The first train, which was 

1 This is said to be the first use of steam on an American railroad. 




Railroad Car Drawn by Horses 
From an old print 



POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL COXDII'IOXS 237 

drawn by horses, left Philadelphia June 6, 1832. On Novem- 
ber 23, a locomotive, known afterwards as ''Old Ironsides," 
was employed, and was able to run at the rate of twenty-eight 
miles an hour. At first the locomotive was not taken out 
on rainy days, as it was thought that the wheels would slip 
on the wet rails. 




Railroad Train in 1833 
From an old print 

The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad was chartered in 
1833, and portions of the road were ready for use in 1838; 
the Philadelphia and Trenton road was opened in 1834, the 
Philadelphia terminal being at Kensington. 

Several attempts were made to begin a railroad from 
Philadelphia to Lancaster with the purpose of aftenvards 
extending it to Pittsburgh, but people were afraid to sub- 
scribe for stock. For, it was thought, canals would furnish 
a much surer means of conveyance. Those who lived along 
the Lancaster turnpike could not believe that the wagons 
could be superseded. ''No railroad," said an old innkeej)er, 
''can carry the freight that the old Conestogas (wagons) do." 

At last the Legislature took up the matter, making it jxirt 
of the plan of internal im])rovements in conneciion with the 
system of canals. The Phila(lelj)hia terminus was al Bel- 
mont, on the west side of the Schuylkill, and the east side 



238 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

was reached by a bridge, which soon came to be known as 
the Columbia Bridge. At Belmont there was an inclined 
plane 2800 feet long, up which the cars were hauled by an 
endless cable. At the other end of the road at Columbia 
there was another inclined plane 1800 feet long. Between 
these planes the cars were drawn by horses. The distance 
between Philadelphia and Lancaster was covered in eight 
and a half hours, including stoppages. It was usual for 
travelers to spend the night at Lancaster and go on to 
Columbia the next morning. There was a single track at 
first, with turnouts, and the road was open to all who would 
pay two cents per mile for each passenger and $4.92 for each 
car. 

The Philadelphia and West Chester road, intended to join 
the Columbia road, was begun in 1832, and on Christmas 
day, 1833, ^ car made the trip from West Chester to the 
station on Broad street (near Race), Philadelphia. This 
car crossed the Schuylkill River by the Columbia Bridge. 

Pennsylvania Railroad. — The Pennsylvania Railroad Com- 
pany was chartered in 1846 to build a railroad from Harris- 
burg to Pittsburgh. The road was begun in 1847, but 
three years passed before it was finished to connect with the 
east end of the Portage Railroad already mentioned. Near 
Johnstown its own tracks were again used. In 1852 it was 
opened to Pittsburgh, and in two years more it had its own 
tracks the whole distance between the cities. It had already 
gained control of the road from Harrisburg to Lancaster, and 
in 1857 it purchased from the State the line from Lancaster to 
Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Railroad thereby obtained 
control of an unbroken stretch of road from Philadelphia to 
Pittsburgh. From this time the road has steadily increased 
until its branches and connections number 11,500 miles. 



POLITICAL AND FINANXIAL CONDITIONS 239 



The Pennsylvania System extends into many States and it 
has become the largest railroad corporation in the world. 

The building of railroads was not begun without consider- 
able opposition. Farmers believed that they would hurt 
the sale of horses, oats, 
and other farm produc- 
tions, and W'OuId injure 
the wagon trade. It was 
argued by others that for a 
long journey, at any rate, a 
man traveling with a family 
would prefer a canal boat, 
because on a boat it would 
be possible for them to walk 
about, talk, write letters, 
and eat meals, whereas 
none of these things could 
be done on a railway. ''In 
a canal boat, too, the pas- 
sengers were as safe as at 
home, whereas in a railway 
car nobody could tell what 
might happen." Even as late as 183 1, the State board of 
canal commissioners said, ''The board believe that, notwith- 
standing all the improvements that have been made in rail- 
roads and locomotives, it will be found that canals are from 
two to two and a half times better than railroads for the 
purposes required of them by Pennsylvania." 

It is not practicable to describe other railroad systems in 
the State, but Pennsylvania may be proud of her railroads. 
They have contributed vastly to the development of her 
natural resources and of her productive industries of all 




Traveling on a Canal Boat 



240 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

kinds. While sometimes the administration of the roads 
has been open to question, the benefit to the State has been 
incalculable. 

Pennsylvania and Slavery. — The record of Pennsylvania 
in regard to slavery has been good. She, first among the 
States, passed a bill (1780) providing for the gradual aboHtion 
of slavery within her limits. The Pennsylvania Abohtion 
Society, first aboHtion society in America, was begun in 
Philadelphia (1775). Franklin was president of it in 1787. 
The Friends, when they withdrew from pohtics, devoted 
much time to measures of social and moral reform, among 
them the gradual abolition of slavery. They petitioned 
the Continental Congress, and also the first Congress under 
the Constitution, against the slave trade. The Pennsyl- 
vania Representatives to Congress defended the petition, 
and protested against the kidnapping of free negroes ; and it 
was a Pennsylvanian, — David Bard, — who introduced a 
resolution (1804) laying a tax of ten dollars upon every 
negro imported, the extreme amount allowed by the Consti- 
tution. When the great struggle over the extension of slavery 
into the territories, resulting in the Missouri Compromise, 
took place in Congress (18 19-1820), the Pennsylvania sena- 
tors, Jonathan Roberts and Walter Lowrie, both opposed 
the extension of slavery, as did the Representatives also. 
And their action was approved by the Pennsylvania Legis- 
lature unanimously. 

It was in Philadelphia that the American Anti-Slavery 
Society was organized (1833).^ Its members were uncom- 
promising in their attitude, declaring ''that the slaves ought 
instantly to be set free and brought under the protection of 

^ Beriah Green of New York was the president, and Lewis Tappan and 
John G. Whittier were the secretaries. 



POLITICAL AND FIXANXIAL COXDITIOXS 241 



the law." They were for freeing all slaves without com- 
pensation to the owners. As a result of the meeting anti- 
slavery societies were formed wherever practicable. 

The South resented any interference with slavery, and 
from this time made every effort to suppress all attempts to 
spread anti-slavery principles 
In Pennsylvania, while the 
majority in the State were 
opposed to slavery, there were 
many who were opposed to the 
Abolitionists. There was the 
politician who wished to be on 
good terms with the South, 
the merchant who had South- 
ern customers; there were those 
who feared any change; and 
above all, the "roughs" in the 
cities who hated the negroes, 
and who were always ' ' ready for 
a row." A considerable change, 

therefore, came in the attitude of the State toward slavery, 
so much so that Governor Ritner in 1836 sent a message to 
the Legislature in which he mentioned in review the various 
matters in which State sentiment had changed, notably lliat 
of free discussion — in regard to slavery. ''The traffic in 
slaves, now abhorred by all the civilized world, ought not in the 
slightest degree to be tolerated in the State of Penns\ Kania." 
"Let us never," he said, "yield the right of free discussion ( f 
any evil that may arise in the land or in any part of it." 

Burning of Pennsylvania Hall. The feeling against the 
Abohtionists was particularly strong in I^hiladelphia and 
reached its height in the burning of Pennsylvania Hall. As 




House in Germantown ix which 
THE First American' Protest 
AGAINST Slavery was Signed in 16S8 



242 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

the anti-slavery men had found considerable difficulty in 
securing places for meeting, a lot was bought on North Sixth 
Street near Race, and a large hall erected. It was finished and 
dedicated in 1838, David Paul Brown, one of Pennsylvania's 
most distinguished lawyers, making the address. The next 
day placards were posted around the city caUing the citizens 
to break up the meetings which had been planned to follow. 
On the evening of the third day a mob broke the windows by 
throwing stones and hooted the speakers. The next night a 
larger mob put out the street lamps in the neighborhood, 
broke into the hall, set it on fire, and then broke the gas pipes 
so that the gas might help the flames; only the outer walls 
of the building remained. The poet Whittier, who was 
an eye-witness of the outrage, was only saved from violent 
treatment by being unrecognized. The action of the city 
authorities was vacillating and weak in the extreme. The 
next night an attempt was made to destroy a negro orphan 
asylum and it was set on fire, but was saved by citizens who 
held back the mob, allowing the firemen to extinguish the 
flames. There was also rioting before the office of the Piihlic 
Ledger, which had denounced the lawless proceedings that had 
taken place. No one was punished for the burning of Penn- 
sylvania Hall. A claim made upon the city for loss was 
settled after three years by the payment of $33,000. 

Race Riots. — These were not the only race riots. In 
August, 1834, a riotous mob attacked the dwelHngs of negroes 
in Moyamensing. Windows and doors were broken, furniture 
was destroyed, and negro men and women were beaten with- 
out mercy. Other attacks were made on successive days until 
several thousand dollars worth of property were destroyed. 
Again in 1835 there was a still worse riot. The occasion of this 
w^as the brutal assault by a negro boy upon a white citizen. 



POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS 24:; 

Unable to-gct at the l30\', a mob attacked the houses of colored 
people until the whole colored population of the city was 
almost panic-stricken. In 1842 a colored temperance pro- 
cession was attacked by a mob, and the scenes of previous 
years were repeated, and so serious did matters become that 
the troops were called out to preserve order. This ill-feeling 
toward the negro population continued to the time of the 
Civil War and even later. 

Native American Riots. — Bad as these negro riots were, 
they were not equal to the political and ''Native American" 
riots. The elections in Philadelphia were almost always times 
of excitement and rioting. In 1834 there was fighting between 
the followers of the Whigs and the followers of the Demo- 
crats, much property was destroyed, and many buildings 
burned.^ 

As early as 1828 hard feeling between the native Americans 
and the Irish immigrants had resulted in a fight. But the 
climax was reached in 1843- 1844. Early in the year it had 
been needful to call out the miHtia. The ill-feeling was 
increased by intolerance and prejudice. Many Irish Catholic 
weavers had come to the city and Kved principally in what 
was known as Kensington, then a suburb of Philadelphia. A 
strong feeling in favor of restricting offices to native-born 
American citizens had sprung up all over the country, with a 
corresponding opposition to foreigners. This feeling was 
increased by religious prejudice. As a result of the feeling 
against foreigners an organization was formed to insist on 
the Bible being read in the pubHc schools, and this organiza- 
tion held meetings in the midst of the CathoHc population. 
Their meetings were roughly broken up, and in one of the 

' The hca\-y losses durin.i^ this period led to the enactment of the law whieh 
made the eountv liable for damak'^'s inlhi ted 1)\- a moi). 



244 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

skirmishes a boy was mortally wounded. He was looked 
upon as a martyr, further rioting took place, the houses of 
Catholics were attacked, shots were fired, houses were set on 
fire. CathoHc churches were attacked, and one, St. Augus- 
tine's on Fourth Street near Vine, was burned, as well as 
the Catholic school-house near by. The troops were called 
out and with some difficulty quiet was restored. 

In July a still worse riot took place. This was started by a 
great ''Native American" procession on the Fourth of July, 
and by the speeches which were made during the celebration 
of the day. The troubles began on the fifth and lasted for 
several days. The troops were called out and martial law 
proclaimed. Severe fighting took place in the streets, and 
Governor Porter himself came to the city to direct affairs. 
Additional troops were brought from the counties until there 
were about 5000 men under arms. It is said that ''thirty 
houses, three churches, and a convent were burned during the 
troubles." As a result of these various riotous proceedings 
the police force was entirely reorganized and increased in 
number, and though riots did not cease, there have since 
been none so serious. 



CHAPTER XIX 



NATIONAL POLITICS, LITERATURE, ANTI-SLAVERY, EDUCATION 

Mexican War; "Wilmot Proviso." Though Pennsylvania 
had been steadily Democratic in national politics, she gave 
her vote for William Henry Harrison, the Whig candidate, in 
the exciting campaign of 1840, 
though by a very small major- 
ity.^ The uncertainty of what 
Congress would do in financial 
matters and in regard to the 
tariff threatened the hold of 
the Democratic party on the 
State, but the leaders were 
shrewd, and by means of prom- 
ises were able to carry the state 
in 1844 for James K. Polk, the 
Democratic candidate for Pres- 
ident. President Polk appoint- 
ed James Buchanan of Pennsylvania secretary of state, and 
for a number of years he was the Democratic leader of 
Pennsylvania. 

The election of Polk led to the annexation of Texas and 
the Mexican War, neither of which was agreeable to the 
majority of Pennsylvanians, but all were patriotic, and though 
the quota of troops for the war called for from ]\'nns}lvania 
was six regiments, nine regiments were offered. Only 
however, were mustered into the army. 

' The majority was only 349 over the vole for \':ii\ Huren. 




^^P^ 



James Blchwan 



two, 



246 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The acquisition of so much territory by the United States 
as a result of the Mexican War, brought up the subject of 
slavery in a way that could not be ignored. Texas had been 
admitted to the Union as a slave State, but the territory 
acquired from Mexico had been free. Should it be slave or 
free under the flag of the United States? As a rule Southern 
men claimed that it should be open to slavery, for they would 
not settle where they could not take their slaves, but the 
majority of the men of the North resisted any proposal to 
make that territory slave which was already free. 

David Wilmot of Towanda, a Democratic representative 
from Pennsylvania, had voted for the annexation of Texas. 
He was, however, opposed to the extension of slavery, and 
had offered an amendment to a bill before Congress, providing 
that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever 
exist in any part of said territory" which may be acquired 
from Mexico. This amendment, known as the ''Wilmot 
Proviso," passed the House but was lost in the Senate. It 
became the rallying cry of all those opposed to slavery. Wil- 
mot's course was approved by the Pennsylvania Legislature.^ 

In the Presidential election of 1848 Pennsylvania gave her 
vote to Zachary Taylor, the Whig candidate. Opposition 
to the extension of slave territory brought about this result, 
for Pennsylvania was still a Democratic State. 

Literature in Pennsylvania ; Periodicals. — In all material 
interests Pennsylvania was prospering greatly. In Hterary 
matters she had regained something of the supremacy she had 
enjoyed in the eighteenth century. Philadelphia had continued 
to be a pubhshing center. No persons contributed to this 
result more than the family of Matthew Carey. Established 
in 1785 and continued under several names, the Carey pub- 

1 The vote in the House was g6 to o, luid in the Senate 24 to 3. 



POLITICS, LITERATURE, ANTI-SLAVERY 247 




^-^-•'^^ 



lishing house celebrated its centennial in 1885, and its suc- 
cessors are still numbered among Philadelphia's foremost 
pubHshers.^ This firm, and that of Carey and Hart, an off- 
shoot, issued some of the best books in 
America, and republished the works 
of the most prominent British authors. 
The Pickunck Papers were first pub- 
lished in America by the Careys, as 
well as many of the Waverle}' uoatIs, 
the Essays of IMacaulay, Jeffrey, 
Sydney Smith, and others. Cooper, 
Irving, Simms, Kennedy, besides 
other American authors, were upon 
their Hsts. 

In periodical Hterature also the 
older days were repeated. The 5a/- 
urday Evening Post, lineal successor 

of the Pennsylvania Gazette, established by Benjamin Frank- 
lin, was given a new lease of life. In 1830 Louis A. Godey 
established Godey^s Ladies' Book, which had a wide circula- 
tion for nearly fifty years. Among its contributors in its 
earher days were numbered Poe, Irving, Hawthorne, Paulding, 
Bayard Taylor, and Charles Godfrey Leland. 

On a higher level was Graham's Magazine, established by 
George R. Graham in 1840, of which Poe was editor for a time. 
In this magazine appeared some of the best known of Long- 
fellow's earlier poems. Lowell, Bryant, Halleck, Cooper, 
Hawthorne, Story, Whipple, and indeed almost all of the 
American authors of the day were contributors to its jxiges. 



Fraxklix's Prixtixg 
Press 



^ The firm under various names has continued to the present time to have 
at least one lineal descendant of Matthew Carey in it. The present style is 
Lea and Febiger. 



248 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

It was essentially an American magazine, though a few English 
writers contributed, among them Elizabeth B. Barrett, after- 
wards Mrs. Browning. 

Graham's Magazine flourished until the establishment of 
Harper's Magazine (1850), and Putnam's (1853). With their 
larger resources and probably better appreciation of the 
changes in the pubHc taste, they drew away so many sub- 
scribers and purchasers that in a few years it came to an end, 
after an honorable and useful career. Graham has hardly 
had justice done him for the service he rendered American 
Hterature by his encouragement of native talent. 

Pennsylvania Authors. — Notwithstanding this literary 
revival, Pennsylvania did not produce many authors of high 
rank. George H. Boker (i 823-1 890), a writer of easy verse 
and author of several dramas, was born in Philadelphia and 
exercised much literary influence, but his name is but little 
known at the present time.^ Another writer of great versatility 
was Charles Godfrey Leland (1824-1903), whose Hans Breit- 
mann's Ballads, composed in a German-English dialect, most 
of them written at a somewhat later period, had a wide 
circulation both in America and Europe. They possess 
genuine wit and humor and will preserve his name after his 
more serious work, on which he set a far higher value, is 
forgotten. 

Thomas Buchanan Read (182 2-187 2), born in Chester 
County, was in turn actor, painter and poet. He did not 
attain very high distinction in any one of these lines, but the 
Civil War gave him subjects which touched the feelings of 
the people, and his Sheridan's Ride was immensely popular, 
and it remains one of the best known of Civil War lyrics. 

^ Perhaps the only poem of his that still retains favor is his Soldier's Dirge, 
beginning, " Close his eyes, his work is done." 



POLITICS, LITERATURE, ANTI-SLAVERY 249 

The poet and literary man of the highest rank that Penn- 
sylvania has yet produced is Bayard Taylor (182 5-1 878). 
He, too, was born in Chester County, and, like Read, had a 
life full of incident. As a young man he wandered over 
Europe, paying his way by writing letters to newspapers in 
America, notably the New York Tribune. These letters, 
afterwards collected under the title of Views Afoot, had a 
wide circulation. Other travels were also described in later 
volumes. He drifted into literature, and afterwards wrote 
a number of novels: the best one of these is The Story of 
Kennett, the scenes of which, photographic in their accuracy, 
were laid in and near his childhood's home at Kennett 
Square, Chester County. His greatest work, however, was 
the translation of Goethe's Faust into English, in the meters 
of the original. He died in 1878 while Minister of the 
United States to Germany. 

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. — Pennsylvania returned 
to the Democratic part}' in the election of Wilham Bigler as 
governor in 185 1, but this did not indicate any less feeling 
against slavery. Pennsylvania accepted the Compromise 
Bill of 1850, but many of her citizens, especially those hving 
along the southern boundary of the State, resented the new 
Fugitive Slave Act and resolved to aid fugitive slaves as 
much as possible in their efforts to escape. The aid rendered, 
and the resistance to the law — though it was generally 
passive — were very effective, all the more so as there was 
no appeal to popular feeling and excitement. Everything was 
done so quietly and with such secrecy that it was almost 
impossible to prove any illegal acts. 

Underground Railroad. Until the new Fugiti\e Slave 
Act of 1850 a runaway slave was comparatively safe in a free 
State, but after the passage of that bill, Canada was the 



250 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



nearest sure refuge for the unfortunate runaway. The aim, 
therefore, of the sympathizers with the fugitive was to aid 
him to reach Canada. The way in which this was done came 
to be called the "Underground Railroad." This simply 
meant that the fugitive was concealed by day and sent on 
by night along well arranged routes on which he could rely 
for help and concealment until the Canadian border was 
crossed. The town of Columbia was one of the places where 
slaves would often disappear, and it is said that the phrase 
arose in connection with this place from some one saying 
"there must be an underground railroad out of this town." 
But perhaps the greatest number of fugitives, so far as Penn- 
sylvania was concerned, came through Chester County.^ 

The penalties for aiding or harboring a runaway were heavy. 
Fines of several hundred dollars were inflicted for giving a 
runaway slave even food or shelter. But many persons 
braved all risks in resisting what they held to be unrighteous 
laws. The stories of hairbreadth escapes, and of conflicts with 
slave owners and with sheriffs, would fill a volume. The 
result of all this was to increase the opposition to slavery. 

American Party. — A certain hostility to foreigners showed 
itself as early as 1835 in both New York and Philadelphia, 
and again in 1844. About 1852, when the old Democratic 
and Whig parties were unsettled, the large immigration 
brought up the question of nativism again. A secret order 
or organization was formed, the main purpose of which was 
to restrict the suffrage and pubhc offices to native born 
Americans and those who had been many years in the country. 

1 Thomas Clarrett, a Pennsylvanian who removed to Wilmington, Delaware, 
is said to have personally aided 2700 fugitives to escape. He lost his property 
in various ways on account of the assistance he gave to runaway slaves 
and he was often threatened with murder. 



POLITICS, LITERATURE, AXTI-SLA\KRV 251 

''America for Americans" was the watch-word. The name 
of the party which grew out of the order was the ''American 
Party," or, as it was generally known, the "Know Nothing 
Party," a name given because the members when asked any 
question about the order, always rephed, ''I don't know." 

The party grew rapidly, and by 1854 it promised to be the 
great rival of the Democrats. It tried to avoid the shivery 



<cC-^ 



m 



i^jdl 




IflKirif 




The Present United States Mint 

question and make nativism the i)opular cry. When so 
many highly esteemed and valuable citizens were of foreign 
birth, and with the growing tide of immigration, such a 
party was sure to fail in the end, but in 1854 it was strong 
enough in Pennsylvania to elect James Pollock ^ governor by 
a large majority. The party nominated Millard Fillmore 
for President in 1856, and after that disappeared. Indepen- 
dently of its other weakness the attem])t to ignore slavery 
w^ould alone have been fatal to its further existence. 

^ Pollock was Director of the United States Mint, 1S61-1S6O, 186Q-1870, 
and is said to have been instrumental in gettinj^ the motto, " In God we Trust," 
placed upon the United States coinage. 



252 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Sale of Public Works. — ^ In 1857 the State, after long 
negotiations, sold all its public works (canals and railroads) 
between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to the Pennsylvania 
Railroad Company for $7,500,000, and in 1858 sold the canals 
on the Susquehanna and its branches above the mouth of the 
Juniata, and the Delaware Division, to the Sunbury and 
Erie Railroad Company for $3,500,000. These sums were 
only about one-fourth the cost of construction, but the sale 
was beneficial to the State in several ways. The Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad paralleled the State works; the works them- 
selves brought in small revenue; but above all the sale put 
an end to much public and private corruption. 

This experiment in public ownership cannot be quoted 
as altogether a failure. There can be no doubt that by means 
of these roads and canals the development of the State was 
stimulated at a time when private enterprise would have 
held back from internal improvements, and the impetus thus 
given to all interests was lasting. On the other hand, the 
management of the works was faulty, and seriously hurtful 
to the political morals of the people, for those who directed 
the management, and, indeed, most of the employees, re- 
garded their own personal interests rather than the public 
good. The funds received from the sale of the works were 
applied toward extinguishing the public debt.^ 

Financial Crisis of 1857. — ^ The financial crisis of 1857 was 
felt as severely in Pennsylvania , as elsewhere . B anks suspended 
specie payments and all business was prostrated. Governor 
Pollock called an extra session of the Legislature to devise 

^ The feeling against a large state indebtedness had become so strong that 
in 1856 a constitutional amendment was passed requiring the Legislature to 
appropriate an annual amount of at least $250,000 to the sinking fund for the 
payment of the state debt. 



POLITICS, LITERATURE, ANTl SL.W I^kN" 253 

means, for lessening the linancial stress. Thougli i)erhai)s 
more severe than the financial crisis of 1837, that of 1857 
was not so prolonged and the country recovered sooner from 
the effects.^ 

Progress of Public Education. — The progress of education 
in the State was not so rapid as some of its supporters had 
hoped. There was considerable local opposition to the 
schools, the course of instruction was hmited, and the teachers 
were ill -prepared for their work, and were poorly paid. 
About 1850 efforts at reform and improvement were made 
with success. In 1854 the office of county superintendent 
of schools was created, with most beneficial results. In 1857 
a separate Department of Education was established, and 
the system of normal schools for the training of teachers 
begun. The first training school for teachers was held in 
Chester County in 1855. This improvement in the methods 
of education was chiefly due first to Thomas H. Burrowes, 
who as secretary of the commonwealth had charge of the 
educational interests of the State before the Department 
of Education was created; and secondly to James P. Wicker- 
sham, who, as principal of the first normal school in the State 
(Millersville), and later (1866) as State superintendent of 
common schools, exercised a most valuable influence.^ 

Consolidation of Philadelphia, 1854. — An important event 
of this period was the consohdation of the city of Philadelphia. 
The old city was bounded by the two rivers and South and 
Vine streets, but suburbs had grown up which were indis- 
tinguishable from the city. There were nine of these separate 

^ The cause of the financial crisis was chiclly (hie U) ()\cr-s])0(ulation, hrou.uht 
about by the general prosperity of the count r>-. 

2 He was the author of an excellent History of liducalio)i in Pritiisylvania 
(1886). 



254 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

corporations.^ The advantage of bringing all these districts 
under one administration was self-evident. Mobs, robbers, 
murderers, disturbers of the public peace, were all the time 
going from one jurisdiction to another to postpone if not to 
escape punishment. There had been some arrangement 
(1850) for a common poHce, but that covered only part of 
the difhculty. There was a constant conflict. The union 
was strongly objected to by the politicians, as consolidation, 
it was beHeved, would lessen local influence. Others feared 
increase of taxation. It was not until 1854 that consolidation 
became a fact by legislative action. 

By the act of consolidation Philadelphia was made to 
include the entire county. As the debts of the districts 
were to be taken over by the new city ^ several of the dis- 
tricts made haste to spend money on local objects, and it 
is said that in anticipation of the union ''within thirty days 
$4,500,000 was added to the debt to be assumed by the new 
city." The first election for mayor of the consolidated city 
took place in June, 1854, and resulted in the choice of 
Robert T. Conrad, who received the support of the Whigs 
and ''Know Nothings."^ 

It is also of interest to note that the temperance feeling in 
the State was strong enough in 1854 to induce tTie Legislature 
to submit a Prohibition Law to the voters. It was defeated 
by only 5,000 majority in a vote of more than 300,000. 

1 These were Southwark, Northern Liberties, Kensington, Spring Garden, 
Penn, Moyamensing, Richmond, West Philadelphia, and Belmont. 

2 " All the franchises, rights, duties, property, assets, debts and liabilities, 
of the city, the nine districts, the six boroughs, and the thirteen townships, 
were transferred to the new corporation, the consolidated city of Philadelphia." 

^ At first the term of the mayor was made two years; in 1862 it was length- 
ened to three years, and by the Act of 1885 (BuUitt Bill) it was fixed at four 
years. This i)ro vision is still in force (19 13). 



CHAPTER XX 

PENNSYLVANIA AND THE CIVIL WAR 

Republican Party; Election of Buchanan; Governor 
Curtin. — The efforts of the Southern men not only to secure 
new slave territory but also to insist on the right to take their 
slaves with them wherever they went, led the men of the free 
States to unite in opposition to these demands as they had not 
done before. The result was the formation of the Republican 
party. The first national convention of this party was held 
in Philadelphia in June, 1856, and John C. Fremont was 
nominated for President. The American party, supported by 
some of the Whigs, nominated Millard Fillmore, and the 
Democrats nominated James Buchanan of Pennsylvania. 

In the election the new Repubhcan party polled a sur- 
prisingly large vote, carrying all New England, New York, 
Ohio, and other States. The Democrats, however, were 
successful in electing James Buchanan as President and John 
C. Breckenridge as Vice-President.^ In Pennsylvania, though 
Buchanan had a majority over all competitors, it was so small 
as to indicate that it would take but Kttle to withdraw the 
State from the Democrats. Buchanan appointed Jeremiah 
S. Black, one of the ablest lawyers of Pennsylvania, as his 
attorney-general, and later, for a time, his secretary of state. 
Later Edwin M. Stanton, then of Pittsburgh, was attorney- 
general. 

1 Though Buchanan had a majority vote of 52 in the electoral college, he 
was a minority President so far as the popular vote was concerned, for he 
lacked nearly 400,000 votes of having a majority. 



256 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

In 1857, William F. Packer, the Democratic candidate, was 
chosen governor, but the anti-slavery feeling continued to 
grow, and in October, i860, the State chose the Republican 
candidate for governor, Andrew G. Curtin, by a large major- 
ity. This indicated that the Repubhcans would carry the 
State at the National election in November. 

Pennsylvania Votes for Lincoln. — In national poKtics the 
division of the great Democratic party into the Breckenridge 
and Douglas wings made the choice of the Republican candi- 
date almost certain. At the election, Abraham Lincoln and 
Hannibal Hamlin received a plurality of the popular vote 
and a majority of 57 in the electoral college.^ Pennsylvania 
gave Lincoln and Hamlin a pluraHty of nearly 90,000, and 
a majority of nearly 60,000 over all competitors. This result 
■ was a wonderful revelation of how public opinion in the State 
had changed. 

Conciliation toward the South ; Weakness of Buchanan. — 
Notwithstanding this expression of public sentiment, there 
were still very many in the State who, influenced by various 
motives, deprecated active opposition to the slave power. 
Governor Packer, in his farewell message, though he declared 
against secession, advocated greater activity in returning 
fugitive slaves, and the lessening of restrictions in many 
ways. Resolutions of similar character were passed by the 
Legislature. But the climax was reached on December 13, 
i860, when a huge mass meeting, said to number 50,000, 
was gathered in Independence Square. The call for the 
meeting was sent out at the request of the city councils, 
and the meeting was presided over by the mayor, Alexander 

^ Like Buchanan, Lincoln was a minority President so far as the popular 
vote was concerned, the combined vote of his opponents being nearly one 
million more than his own. 



PENNSYLVANIA AND THE CIVIL WAR 



257 



Henry. The speeches made and the resolutions passed were 
in favor of concihation toward the South, and the removal 
of any statute on the statute books "which in the slightest 
degree invades the constitutional rights of a sister State." 
The seventh resolution declared that "all denunciations of 
slavery, as existing in the United States . . . are inconsistent 
with the spirit of brotherhood and kindness." 

This meeting and its conciliatory attitude could not have 
been held a few weeks later, so rapidly did public opinion 
change. Nothing contributed to this change more than the 
new^s that Major Anderson had been besieged in Fort Sumter 
in Charleston harbor. Meetings were held approving his 
action, and also counter-meetings; but the feeling kept grow- 
ing stronger that Anderson and his little band represented 
in a measure the Union. 

During this trying period President Buchanan pursued a 
vacillating course, declaring that he was opposed to secession, 
and yet asserting that he had no powTr to prevent it; mem- 
bers of his cabinet openly proclaimed their sympathy with 
Southern views, and were charged with actively aiding the 
South. State after State seceded and the President did 
nothing; Fort Sumter was besieged and he sent no aid. 

J^incoln in Philadelphia ; Feeling in Pittsburgh. On the 
2ist of February, 1861, Abraham Lincoln, the President- 
elect, came to Philadelphia and received a hearty welcome. 
The next day, Washington's Birthday, he visited Indepen- 
dence Hall and made a notable though brief address. He 
then went to the front of the building and hoisted an 
American flag having thirty-four stars, Kansas having been 
recently admitted to the Union. ^ 

The western part of the State was less inclined to concilia- 

^ The spot where he stood while hoisting the flag is marked with a stone. 



258 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



tion than the eastern. Late in December the citizens of 
Pittsburgh were greatly excited at learning that guns were 
being shipped from their city to the South, presumably for 
the aid of the South. Protests were sent at once to Presi- 
dent Lincoln, who directed Holt, the acting secretary of 

war, to countermand the order 
of Floyd, his predecessor, which 
was done.^ Had the order not 
reached Pittsburgh promptly 
it is almost certain that there 
would have been an outbreak. 
Activity of Governor Curtin ; 
Pennsylvania Volunteers. — If 







Andrew G. Curtin 



K^^^v> Pennsylvania had a weak son in 
''M\\\\fl Buchanan, she had a strong one 
' \\;^' in her new governor, Andrew 
G. Curtin. The energy, the 
skill, the ability, which he dis- 
played in these early and try- 
ing days of the conflict, and indeed all through his term of 
office, give him a high place among the "war governors."^ 

The attack on Fort Sumter, April 12, roused the whole 
country as perhaps no other event has done. It turned 
thousands of doubtful men into earnest supporters of the 
National government, and of the Union of the States. In 



^ Secretary Floyd was charged with making these shipments in the interest 
of the secessionists, but later investigations show that the shipments were 
determined upon in October and the guns were intended for the unfinished 
forts at Galveston, Texas, and Ship Island, Mississippi, in the ordinary course 
of construction. 

2 The governors of States during the Civil War were known as " war gov- 
ernors." Of these the most distinguished were Andrew of Massachusetts, 
Sprague of Rhode Island, Curtin of Pennsylvania, and Morton of Indiana. 



PENNSYLVANIA AND THE CIVIL WAR 



-^59 



no State was the uprising of the people more marked than in 
Pennsylvania. Fort Sumter was evacuated on A j)ril 14, 18O1. 
The next day President Lincoln called for 75.000 \()lun leers 
for three months. Pennsylvania's quota was 14,000, but 
25,000 men offered themselves. The first volunteers who 
reached Washington were 2160 Pennsylvanians who marched 
through a rough mob in Baltimore (April 18), though they 
were not attacked so severely as the Massachusetts troops 
were the next day. 

Governor Curtin retained the extra volunteers, and kept 
them in service as the Pennsylvania Reserves. Camp Curtin 
was estabhshed near Harrisburg, and became one of the great 
training camps of the war. In all, Pennsylvania furnished 
362,284 men to the armies of the Union, not including 25.000 
or more militia that were called 
out for special service.^ 

The Pennsylvania troops were 
equal to any in the service, and 
the State had many officers who 
became distinguished — among 
them Generals George A. Rey- 
nolds, George G. Meade, Elwood 
O. C. Ord, George B. McClellan, 
and Winfield S. Hancock. 

Confederates Invade Pennsyl- 
vania, 1862. — Pennsylvania was 
so near to Virginia, the northern- 
most of the seceded States, that 

an invasion of her soil was probable. When a Confederate 
army was in western Virginia a day's march would lake 

^ As in other States, durinf^ the latter [)art of the war, the s\stem of drafting 
men for service and of paying bounties was followed in Pennsylvania. 




George B. McClellan 



26o 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



troops across the narrow strip of Maryland into the fertile 
lands of Pennsylvania. The Confederates thus invaded the 
State three times. The first invasion "was General Stuart's 
raid in October, 1862, when the alert Confederate crossed 
the State hne with a force of cavalry, and reached Chambers- 
burg. But comparatively little damage was done, and fearful 
of meeting a force of the enemy larger than his own, he 
hastily returned to Virginia without suffering loss. 




/ ^ r^ FAmPAX c H^/\\^<J.'^ANN\FC■;Lls/^ t^'Y Vl 



/# 



r 




:ll_xa /: 



Map of Confederate Invasions 

Second Confederate Invasion, 1863. — The second invasion 
was one which included the battle of Gettysburg, one of the 
great battles of history, and as terrible a one as any fought on 
American soil. The Confederates had tried before to carry 
the conflict into the Northern States, but were checked at 
Antietam, Maryland (September 17, 1862), by McClellan, 
who forced Lee to retreat to Virginia.^ In 1863 Lee, after 

^ So great was the fear of the invasion that Governor Curtin called out 
50,000 militia for the defence of the State. Had not Lee been checked Penn- 
sylvania would, without doubt, have suffered severely. The consternation 
shown by many was not without good reasons. 



PENNSYLVANIA AND THE CIVIL WAR 261 

his victory at Chancellorsville (May 23, 1863), desirous of 
inflicting a heavy blow upon the North, as well as being 
urged by pubHc opinion, marched toward the Shenandoah 
Valley, crossed the Potomac, hastened across Maryland, cap- 
tured Chambersburg, and then moved toward Harrisburg.^ 

At first it was thought that 
Lee might move toward Pitts- 
burgh in order to destroy the 
great gun manufactories which 
turned out arms for the Union 
forces. So great was this fear 
that earthworks were thrown up 
for defense. At Philadelphia also 
earthworks were constructed. 
But the alarm was greatest at 
Harrisburg. Governor Cur tin 
called for 60,000 volunteers for 

the defense of the State, and made 

WiNFiELD Scott Hancock 
every effort to withstand attack. 

The alarm through the middle and eastern part of the 
State was intense. Valuables were gathered together and 
sent away to supposed places of safety, and many persons 
fled from their homes. One of the tracks of the Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad was lined for miles with locomotives and 
cars, some empty and others loaded with goods, all being 
removed for fear of capture. In Philadelphia there was great 
excitement.2 Business was practically suspended, and many 

1 One object of taking Harrisburg was to destroy the long railroad bridge 
and thus to interfere with railroad communication between East and West. 

2 Notwithstanding the great excitement there was no financial panic. 
United States bonds sold at about the regular prices, and though there was 
every prospect that the Pennsylvania Railroad would be cut and that heavy 
losses would follow, its stock sold at 20 per cent above i)ar on July ist. 




262 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

business men enrolled themselves as guards. Families were 
sent north, and specie and valuables were buried or sent out 
of the city. 

The Confederate general, Ewell, marched north, and some 
of his bands of raiders came within four miles of Harrisburg. 
The Confederate cavalry officer, J. E. B. Stuart, reached 
Hanover on June 30, surprising the Union general, Kilpatrick. 
But the latter ralHed his troops and after a sharp conflict 
succeeded in repulsing the Confederate force. Y^ork was 
occupied by Early, who levied upon the inhabitants a req- 
uisition of $35,000. The Union troops who had been in York 
retreated toward Columbia, whose citizens to prevent a pos- 
sible invasion by the Confederates, burned the long wooden 
bridge across the Susquehanna River. 

General Meade; Gettysburg. — General Hooker, in com- 
mand of the Army of the Potomac, followed Lee, keeping 
between the Confederate army and Washington. At this 
critical period differences arose between Hooker and the 
\Var Department at Washington, and he resigned. President 
Lincoln accepted his resignation and at once appointed 
General George G. Meade of Pennsylvania to the com- 
mand. ''It was an excellent choice. . . . The appoint- 
ment was satisfactory to the officers of the army. Although 
the risk was great in making a change of generals at so 
critical a moment, fortune attended the step and smiled on 
the new commander during the next five days which gave 
him fame." 

Meade hastened after the Confederates and the armies 
met at Gettysburg. The conffict began July i, 1863. On 
the first day the Confederates were sucessful in dri\ing 
the Union troops back through the streets of the towm 
with heavv losses. And not only were the Union troops 



PENNSYLVANIA AND THE CI\ IL WAR 



163 



defeated but they met with an almost irreparable loss in the 
death of Major General Reynolds of Pennsylvania, '' a splen- 
did ofhcer," said a Confederate general, ''regretted by friend 
and foe." ^ When the news of 
this heavy disaster reached 
Meade he sent forward another 
Pennsylvanian, General Winlield 
S. Hancock, who quickly restored 
order and inspired confidence. 

In the terrible battle which 
followed on July 2 and 3 both 
armies fought stubbornly and 
bravely. The charge of the Con- 
federate General Pickett, with 
his fifteen thousand chosen men, 
is unsurpassed in history for 
steadiness, coolness, and deter- 
mination. But it was in vain. The slaughter was terrible, 
and Pickett was compelled to give the order to retreat. Lee 
and the Confederates were defeated, and Pennsylvania and 
the North once more breathed freely. And when the news 
of Grant's success at Vicksburg was known the next day, 
the country felt that the strength of the South was broken. 
The danger had been so imminent and the losses in battle so 
heavy, that "there was not so much rejoicing over the vic- 
tories as supreme thankfulness for a great deliverance." - 

Lee retreated across the Potomac and Meade followed him 




George G. JMeade 



^ An equestrian monument to him stands in front of the City Hall, Phila- 
delphia, and also on the Field at Gettysburg. 

2 " The loss of the Union Army in those three days' battles was 3072 killed, 
14,497 wounded, 5434 captured or missing, total 23,003; that of the Confed- 
erates, 2592 killed, 12,709 wounded, 5150 captured or mising, total 20,451." 



264 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

until the armies were nearly in their old position.' Pennsyl- 
vania did well at Gettysburg. The general commanding was 
one of her citizens, as were the three generals, Reynolds, 
Hancock, and Geary, and over five hundred Pennsylvanians 
lie buried on the field. 






W A.. ,. ^ V 'if '-Y 

"■•'it. ^'" ; ,.,#'-;f * tf ^' / ''^^^ ^ 

The Gettysburg National Military Park 
Hancock Avenue looking south 

Gettysburg National Cemetery. — At the suggestion of 
Governor Curtin the States whose troops took part in the 
battle joined in estabHshing a national cemetery for the 
soldiers who had fallen. The cemetery was dedicated Novem- 
ber 19, 1863. President Lincoln was present and delivered 
his brief ''Gettysburg Speech," one of the best known and 
finest orations given on American soil. 

The Gettysburg cemetery became the property of the 
Nation in 1872, and the whole battle-field was made a national 
military ])ark. It has been carefully restored to its condition 
at the time of the battle. The various stations of the troops, 

^ Meade has been much blamed by some for not following Lee rapidly, but 
such criticism comes chiefly from those who take it for granted that Meade knew 
more than it was possible for him to know at the time. 



PENNSYLVANIA AND THP: CIVIL WAR 265 

the lines and places of attack and defense have been marked, 
so that it is possible to get a very clear idea of the battle. 
Several hundred monuments have been erected on the field. 

Third Confederate Invasion, 1864; Burning of Chambers- 
burg. — Pennsylvania had still another experience of Con- 
federate attacks. General McCausland, late in July, 1864, 
crossed the Potomac and Maryland, and appeared with about 
three thousand men before Chambersburg. He demanded 
$500,000 in greenbacks or $100,000 in gold, to be paid in 
half an hour, or the town would be burned. He was informed 
that the citizens could not and would not pay such a sum. 
He then ordered his troops to set fire to the buildings. Houses 
were broken into, oil poured over the furniture, and matches 
appHed. In a very short time the town was in ashes and 
about three thousand people left homeless and houseless, 
some of them losing their all. Then the raiders rode off, 
having gained little or nothing.^ Claims for losses were 
made upon the State and after an examination by a s])ecial 
commission the inhabitants of the counties along the border 
were paid about $3,500,000. 

Pennsylvania in the Army, Cabinet, and Congress. — 
Pennsylvania was well represented during this period not 
only in the army, but also in the cabinet and Congress. 
Simon Cameron was secretary of war (1861-1862), Edwin M. 
Stanton, a citizen of the State, attorney-general (i 860-1 861) 
and secretary of war (1862-1868), Galusha A. Grow, speaker 
of the national House of Representatives (1861-1863), and 
Thaddeus Stevens, one of the most influential members of 
Congress (1861-1868), and chairman of the (\)mmittee of 
Ways and Means. 

^ McCausland said the burning was "in retaliation of the dcprodations 
committed by Major General Hunter . . . during his recent raid." 



266 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Sanitary Fair, 1864. — Among the agencies for improving 
the physical condition of the soldiers was the United States 
Sanitary Commission. This was supported by private sub- 
scriptions. In its aid several fairs had been held in various 
cities of the country. Such a fair was held in Philadelphia, 
June 7 to June 28, 1864. Temporary buildings were erected 
in Logan Square and quantities of articles for exhibition and 
for sale were contributed from all over the State, and also 
from New Jersey and Delaware. About one milHon dollars 
was raised; it was the most successful of all the ''sanitary 
fairs," as they were called. 

Care for the National Troops. — ^ Another charitable work, 
which Philadelphia shared with other cities, was looking after 
the welfare of the troops passing through the city. Two 
restaurants were estabhshed near the railroad station from 
which soldiers were sent to the South. Here the men were 
furnished with food and other comforts. Both of these were 
opened in May, 1861. One of them fed more than 600,000 
men between May 27, 1861, and August 28, 1865; the other, 
in the same period, fed 800,000 men. There was attached to 
one of the restaurants a free hospital. The large amount of 
money spent was raised by voluntary contributions. 

Another charitable work entered upon at the suggestion of 
Governor Curtin was the estabhshment, at the pubhc charge, 
of institutions for the maintenance and education of the 
orphan children of soldiers. 

Heavy as had been the extra expenses of the State connected 
with the Civil War, her finances continually improved, and 
Pennsylvania came out of the war with even higher financial 
credit than she had at the beginning. 



CHAPTER XXI 
SPECULATION, PETROLEUM, NEW CONSTITUTION, STRIKES 

Politics ; Speculation. — Governor Curtin had been elected 
for a second term in 1863, but by a largely reduced majority. 
He was succeeded in 1867 by John W. Geary, who had fought 
with distinction in both the Mexican and Civil Wars, and had 
been governor of Kansas during the trying times of the 
Kansas-Nebraska troubles. Governor Geary served two 
terms (1867-1873). During his administration the State debt 
was reducd about $10,000,000. 

After the war there was much prosperity and the natural 
resources of the State were rapidly developed. The many 
large government contracts which were needed during the 
war had given an opportunity for making money, frequently 
in questionable ways. The fluctuation in the value of gov- 
ernment bonds and paper money had led to extensive spec- 
ulation, and there had been a wonderful amount of railroad 
building. 

Petroleum. — Another source of sudden wealth and of 
speculation was the discovery, or rather development, of petro- 
leum in western Pennsylvania. Mineral oil had ])cen known 
in this region since the earliest settlement, and small quantities 
had been gathered from the surface of the streams and ponds, 
but that was about all. David Zeisberger, in his journal 
written in 1769, speaks of oil in what is now Forest County. 
He says, "It is used medicinally for toothache, rhi-umatism, 
etc. Sometimes it is taken internally. It is of a brown color 
and burns well and can be used in lamps." But petroleum 



268 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

did not become a commercial product until 1859.^ In that 
year Edwin L. Drake, of New York State, bored an oil well 
near Oil Creek, not far from Titusville, Pennsylvania, which 
produced twenty-five barrels a day by pumping. This result 
occasioned much excitement, but the lack of transportation 
facilities was a serious hindrance, for the oil had to be carried 
in wagons over rough roads, or in boats on streams with an 
uncertain flow of water. The Civil War distracted attention 
to some degree from the oil fields, but with all these draw- 
backs the number of wells was vastly increased. In 1859 the 
output was about 1800 barrels; in i860 nearly 500,000 barrels, 
and in 186 1 about 2,000,000 barrels, and the price had fallen 
from about forty cents per gallon to ten cents. When more 
railroads were built the number of wells and the amount of 
the product increased enormously. At first the crude oil was 
shipped in barrels, then in tank cars, but in later years by 
far the greatest part has been carried by means of large pipes 
to the great refineries near Philadelphia and elsewhere. At 
various places along the pipe-lines there are pumping stations 
to force the oil along. 

Even before the wells had been opened a method of refining 
the crude oil had been discovered, and under improved 
systems not only is refined oil obtained but also about two 
hundred other substances known as by-products have been 
discovered. The most important of these are the lubricating 
oils and gasoline. Up to 1895 Pennsylvania was the largest 
producer of petroleum, but in 191 1 she stood seventh.^ 

^ Petroleum was known in the Kanawha Valley, Virginia, in 1806, and in 
1836 from 50 to 100 barrels were annually collected; it was known in Ohio in 
18 14; in Kentucky in 1825, and in New York as early as 1627. 

2 In 191 1 California produced 81,000,000 barrels, Oklahoma 52,000,000, 
and Pennsylvania about 8,800,000. 



SPECULATION, NEW CONSTITUTION, STRIKES 269 

The rapid rise of the value of land in the oil regions and the 
enormous production of oil led to sudden gaining of great 
wealth, and the phrase "struck oil" became proverbial for 
any quick accumulation of money. Speculation also became 
very common. Immense quantities of oil were exported, and 
Philadelphia became the largest exporter of petroleum in the 
country. 




A View in the Oil District in 1868 



Natural Gas. — Natural gas had long been known to exist 
in New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and other States, 
but it was not until 1875 that it was used in the manufacture 
of steel. In 1884 it was introduced into Pittsburgh by means 
of pipes. The possibilities of its use soon became c\i(lcnt, 
and it was but a short time before many wells were sunk and 
the gas was used extensively for manufacturing purposes, as 
well as for illumination and heating. It was also found possi- 
ble to bring it from great distances. 

Constitution of 1873. — ^ The most important matter (hiring 
Governor Geary's administration was the adoption of a new 
State Constitution. Pennsylvania had alrcad}- adopted three 
constitutions, one in 1776, one 1790. and one in 1838. This 



270 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

latter had been amended in 1850 and in 1871.^ But the 
feeHng had become so strong that great changes were needed 
that in 187 1 the Legislature put before the voters the ques- 
tion of calHng a convention to prepare a new Constitution. 
The result was a large majority in favor of such a course. 

The convention met at Harrisburg in November, 1872, and 
afterwards adjourned to Philadelphia. The convention 
included a large number of the ablest men in the State, and 
was a highly creditable assembly. The new Constitution 
was ratified by the voters by a majority of more than two 
to one, and went into effect January i, 1874. 

Constitutional Changes. — The aim which the framers set 
before themselves was to protect the rights of the people as 
much as possible, and to take away from the State officials 
and the Legislature as much of their power, especially of 
appointment, as seemed most likely to encourage bribery 
and corruption. Thus the State treasurer was added to the 
list of elective officials; and a pardon board was created, 
without whose recommendation no criminal could be par- 
doned by the governor. An excellent change was that allow- 
ing the governor to veto special items in appropriation bills.^ 

Both houses of the Legislature were made larger on the 
ground that larger numbers would be harder to bribe. Bien- 
nial sessions of the Legislature were adopted, partly with a 
view to lessen the opportunity for lobbying and partly in the 
behef that once in two years was often enough for the Legis- 

^ The first amendment was to make the judges elective, and the second to 
make the secretary of the commonwealth elective. 

2 Previously the whole bill had to be signed or vetoed. This fact allowed 
very undesirable items to be included in a bill. As appropriation bills were 
frequently passed near the close of a session a governor would often sign a bill 
containing appropriations of which he disapproved rather than call an extra 
session of the Legislature. 



SPECULATION, NEW CONSTITUTION, STRIKES 271 

lature to meet.^ Besides this there are many restrictions on 
the power of the Legislature. The term of the governor was 
extended to four years with the provision that he cannot 
succeed himself.''^ The office of Heutenant-go\ernor was 
created, and he was made a member of the j)ardon board 
ex-qfficio. The date of the state elections was changed from 
October to November, to take place on the same day as the 
national elections. A new system of ballots was adopted 
with the object of making elections fair and honest. Another 
fruitful source of unwise and evil laws had been special legis- 
lation, and this was prohibited. Many other minor changes 
were made, and provisions adopted to meet the new condi- 
tions which had arisen in regard to railroad and other great 
corporations. Taken as a whole the Constitution was an 
unusually good one and it has worked well. Several amend- 
ments have been made to this Constitution in recent years, 
but they do not change the essential features of the docu- 
ment. 

Political Leaders; ** Bosses." — Like the other States, 
Pennsylvania has had men who became leaders in political 
affairs and controlled, or at least influenced, legislation and 
appointments to such a degree as to be almost autocrats in 
poHtics. 

Simon Cameron (1799-1889) was such a man. Originally 
a Democrat and sent as one to the United States Senate in 
1845, he joined the Repubhcan party when it was formed 
and remained one of its prominent members. He was senator 
again (1857-186 1) and was, as has been seen, secretary of 

^ At the present time (1913) the Legislatures of forty Slates meet biennially, 
seven annually, and one (Alabama) quadrennially. In most States the number 
of days a Legislature can sit is fixed; the period is unlimited in Pcnnsyhania. 

2 A similar restriction applies to the auditor-general and state treasurer. 



272 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

war ( 1 861-186 2), then minister to Russia (1862), and senator 
again (1867-1877). He resigned in 1877 and was succeeded 
by his son, J. Donald Cameron, who held the office for twenty 
years. Another skillful party manager was Matthew Stanley 
Quay (1833-1904), who was secretary of the commonwealth 
(1877-1878, 1879-1882), and was chosen United States sen- 
ator in 1887, and held the office for twelve years. He was 
again chosen senator by the Legislature and held office 
(1901-1904). 

Financial Crisis of 1873; Labor Troubles.— ^ The serious 
financial crisis of 1873 was severely felt in Pennsylvania. 
The banking house of Jay Cooke & Co., in Philadelphia, 
failed and this was followed by the failure of many commer- 
cial houses and a general depression in all business and manu- 
facturing interests. The depression lasted a long time and 
wages were reduced and production generally lessened. 

But this was not all. Serious labor troubles followed. The 
first of these is known as the Molly Maguire troubles. The 
Molly Maguires were originally Irish coal miners who united 
in a secret organization for their own protection. Many 
deeds of violence were done under the authority of this 
organization. They began during the Civil War chiefly in 
resistance to the drafts for soldiers. It was almost impossible 
to trace those who committed the outrages, and all through 
the coal regions people lived in fear of their lives. At length 
Franklin B. Gowen, president of the Reading Railroad, whose 
lines ran through the terrorized district, determined to put 
an end to the outrages. By means of detectives he succeeded 
in securing many arrests, and in 1876 about twenty men were 
hanged or duly punished, and good order was restored. 

Strikes; Railroad Strike, 1877. — There were also many 
strikes. One in the anthracite regions in 1875 lasted six 



SPECULATION, NEW CONSTITUTION, STRIKES 273 

months and is known as the ''long strike."^ These disputes 
were chiefly in regard to hours of labor, and either against 
reduction in wages, or for an advance. In many cases the 
strikers had reasonable grievances. 

But the most serious strike was the Railroad Strike in 1877. 
This was widely extended through the country. In Penn- 
sylvania the strike brought about the worst and most de- 
structive riots that have ever been known in the State. The 
disturbances were not confined to any one place. At Reading 
the long railroad bridge over the Schuylkill River was burned, 
and at Wilkes-Barre and Scranton there was much trouble. 
When the railroad companies attempted to run trains with 
new men the men were attacked and the trains wrecked. 

The worst riots were at Pittsburgh. Long trains of 
freight-laden cars were set on fire and consumed, buildings 
were burned, rails torn up, and an immense amount of j)rop- 
erty destroyed. For several days the rioters were in control 
of the city. The governor called out the militia, but even 
they were not able to quell the riot, and United States troops 
were sent by the government to assist the State. This action 
was successful in restoring order. In Philadelphia, where 
Mayor Stokley himself took charge, the police were largely 
increased in number, and were well handled. Though some 
damage was done it was not of great extent. 

After some days order was generally restored, but wages 
were not increased; indeed the financial condition of the coun- 
try did not admit of it. About fifty citizens and five or six 
soldiers had been killed in the State and more than a million 
dollars' worth of property destroyed. 

^ There had been a strike in the coal region in 186S; ami another in 1871 
so serious that the militia were called out. 



CHAPTER XXII 

CELEBRATIONS, POLITICS, LABOR TROUBLES 

Celebrations of Historic Events. — The people of Penn- 
sylvania have been very ready to commemorate past events, 
and to join with others for the same purpose. In the 
period which has been reviewed, the first celebration was 
the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. Phila- 
delphia was eminently the place for the celebration to take 
place, as there the Declaration itself had been made, and 
the very building in which Congress had met was still stand- 
ing. The exhibition was an international one, and very 
many of the nations of the world were represented. The 
state appropriated $1,000,000 toward the enterprise, and 
Philadelphia $1,500,000. The buildings were erected in 
Fairmount Park, and the results in every way exceeded 
expectation. Interesting and valuable as were the foreign 
exhibits, the extent of the resources and manufactures of the 
United States, as revealed by the exhibition, was a surprise 
not only to foreigners but to Americans themselves. 

From the foreign exhibitions the American citizens learned 
how much the country fell below other lands, especially 
Europe, in artistic matters of all kinds. No other exhibition 
has had so great an educational value as this one. It was at 
this exhibition that the telephone, then lately invented, was 
shown to the public for the first time. The fair was open 
from May i to November i, 1876, and during the six months 
about ten million people visited the grounds. 



CELEBRATIONS, POLITICS, LABOR TROUBLES 275 

Another celebration especially interesting to Penns\l- 
vanians was that in 1882 of the two hundredth anniversary 
of the landing of Wilham Penn. A vessel representing the 
Welcome came first to Chester. From it there came on 
shore a company representing William Penn and his com- 
panions. The next day the vessel reached Philadelphia, and 
the company landed at Dock Street, and speeches and pro- 
cessions representing the progress since Penn's day followed. 
The celebration lasted several days. 

Another grand celebration lasting for three days took 
place in 1887 to commemorate the centennial of the adop- 
tion of the Constitution of the United States, which had been 
drawn up in Philadelphia. 

In 1884 an Electrical Exhibition was held in West Phila- 
delphia to illustrate the advance in the practical uses of 
electricity. The extent and variety of the applications of elec- 
tricity were surprising to the many visitors. But so rapid 
has been the progress in the employment of this power that 
the wonders of that time arc now matters of every day use. 

Among other celebrations that followed those already 
mentioned must be placed the Historical Pageant^ which took 
place in Philadelphia October 7 to 12, 1912. This was in- 
tended to represent the principal episodes in the history of 
Pennsylvania and of Philadelphia from the time of the land- 
ing of the Dutch colonists down to the consohdation of the 
city in 1854. The scenes were the result of careful study and 
thousands of spectators viewed them with much pleasure. 

Philadelphia City HaU. — On July 4, 1874, the foundations 
were laid for a much needed City Hall in Philadelphia. The 
site chosen was at the intersection of Market and Broad 

1 A pageant to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the charter of 
Philadelphia was held in igo8. 



276 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

streets, where William Penn had planned that the city public 
buildings should be. It is not likely, however, that he would 
have chosen to place the buildings so as to block the two 
finest streets in the city. Begun in 1874, the building proper 
was finished in 1887, and the tower was completed in 1894. 
It is the largest municipal building in the world and one of 
the most imposing. Its cost was more than $20,000,000.^ 

Burning of Capitol; New Capitol. — In February, 1897, 
the dignified state capitol at Harrisburg was burned. A 
new capitol building was at once authorized by the Legislature 
which was in session at the time. The new building was to 
be fireproof, of renaissance style of architecture, and was to 
cost not exceeding $500,000. The new building, though 
occupied by the Legislature in January, 1899, was not 
completed until 1906, and the interior decorations are still 
unfinished. The result is one of the most beautiful state build- 
ings in America. The cost, however, owing in part to changes 
in the plans, has been about $4,000,000, and the furniture 
and general equipment about $9,000,000 more. This latter 
sum was such an extraordinary expenditure that investiga- 
tions were made which revealed extensive and systematic 
fraud deserving no other name than robbery. The legal 
prosecutions lasted so long that several of the men charged 
with taking part in the frauds died before conviction. The 
State recovered some of the money, and two or three of the 
defrauders were imprisoned. 

Election of Governor Pattison. — After the election of 
Governor Curtin in i860, Pennsylvania remained steadily 

^ It measures 486 feet from north to south, and 470 feet from east to west. 
The height from the ground to the top of Penn's statue is 548 feet. The build- 
ing loses greatly in effect from the fact that owing to its situation it is impossible 
to get a complete view of it at any distance. See picture facing page 284. 



CELEBRATIONS, rOLlTlCS, LAliOR TROUBLES 277 



Republican in politics until 1882. This was partly due to 
the skillful politicians who directed state politics, but chielly 
to the fact that the RepubHcan party was the stron<^^ sup- 
porter of a protective tariff, 
which most Pennsylvanians be- 
lieved was advantageous if not 
essential for the State's pros- 
perity. 

There grew up, however, a 
strong feeling that reform was 
needed and independents voting 
with the Democrats elected, in 
1882, a Democrat, Robert E. 
Pattison, as governor. Governor 
Pattison had been a reform 
ofhcial in Philadelphia and had 
done good service. Owing to 
lack of support by the Legislature 
and other conditions, he was not 
able to accompHsh as much as had been expected, but he 
left a good record. He is the youngest governor Pennsyl- 
vania has had, being only thirty- two years old when chosen. 

"High License Law." — The need of greater restrictions 
in the matter of liquor-selling led to the enactment of what 
is known as a "high license law" in 1887. This law required 
large sums to be paid to the State for the privilege of selling 
liquor, the cost of the hcense being regulated by the size of 
the city or town where the privilege was granted. A pVopor- 
tionally lower rate was fixed for country places. A i)rohibi- 
tion amendment to the Constitution, submitted to the voters 
in i88q, was defeated.' 

^ The \()U' was 2g6/)i7 in fa\()r, and 4X4^)44 a^'ainst tlu- anu'iulnuMit. 




Robert K. Pattis(3N 
1883-87, 1891-95 



278 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Johnstown Flood, 1889; Austin Flood, 1911. — In May, 

1889, the State experienced in the Johnstown flood one of 
the greatest disasters in its history. Heavy rains caused the 
streams and rivers to rise to an unusual height, and there 
were heavy floods all along the Susquehanna and the Juniata, 
as well as other streams. On the Conemaugh river, about 
nine or ten miles from Johnstown, there was a large dam, 
which gave way under the tremendous pressure of the accu- 
mulated water. The water rushed forward with amazing 
rapidity and overwhelming force, and Johnstown, almost 
without warning, was struck and in a few minutes nearly 
destroyed. More than 2200 of its inhabitants perished, whole 
famihes in many instances being destroyed. As has so often 
happened, aid and supphes from sympathizing thousands 
were hurried to the survivors as soon as possible. 

A similar disaster, though not so destructive, occurred in 
191 1 at Austin, in Potter County. A dam across a narrow 
valley gave way under the pressure of a flood, and the water 
swept down the valley. As at Johnstown, a warning was 
given, but more than a hundred persons lost their lives, and 
the little town was practically destroyed. Again prompt aid 
was extended to the sufferers. 

Committee of One Hundred; "Bullitt Bill." — The feehng 
that better political conditions were needed was shown by 
the formation in Philadelphia (1880) of a Committee of One 
Hundred, pledged to work for reform in the administration 
of the city. Though not as successful as was anticipated, 
much good was accomplished. The charter under which 
Philadelphia had been governed was unsatisfactory in many 
respects, among others in that the mayor of the city lacked 
sufficient authority. To remedy this and other defects, a 
new charter drawn up by an eminent Philadelphia lawyer, 



CELEBRATIONS, POLITICS, LABOR TROUBLES 279 



John C. Bullitt, was passed by the Le<;ishilure, and went 
into operation in 1887. By this charter the term of the 
mayor is four years, and much power is given to him. 

Ballot Reform; Homestead Strike. — Governor Pattison 
was followed by James A. Beaver, a Republican. At the 
election in 1890 Robert E. Pattison was again chosen gov- 
ernor. The most important legislation of his second term 
was the passage of a Ballot Reform 
Law. By this measure a modifica- 
tion of what is known as the Aus- 
tralian ballot was adopted.^ 

During Governor Pattison's term 
occurred (1892) a serious strike of 
the employees- of the extensive steel 
works of the Carnegie Company at 
Homestead, near Pittsburgh. The 
cause of the strike was two-fold; 
making a new scale of wages by 
which the pay of some of the work- 
men would be reduced, and a new 
system introduced for the payment 
of all. To these changes objections were made, though xery 
few men would have been affected as to wages. As no agree- 
ment could be reached the company began to close its works. 
The strikers retaliated (July i) by preventing men from enter- 
ing the works, turning away watchmen, and by practically 
taking possession of the works and town. The deputy sheriffs 
who came to regain control for the company were driven 
away. A company of men in the emi)loy of the Pinkerton 




James A. Beaver 
i887-i8gi 



^ Though the ballot was nominally intended to secure indejjendence and 
secrecy in voting, the changes made in the Australian form to a considerable 
extent nullified its advantages. 



28o 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



Detective Agency, engaged by the Steel Company, were 
attacked by the strikers and some were killed and others 
taken prisoners. Governor Pattison, called upon for aid, 
sent the state militia and order was restored; work was 
resumed with new men, though it was long before a sufficient 
number were secured, so great was the fear of the strikers. 

It was nearly five months before 
the strike was officially ended. ^ 

Daniel H. Hastings, a Repub- 
lican, was chosen governor in 1894. 
New State Departments; More 
Strikes; Spanish American War. — 
The Legislature, moved by public 
opinion and by the example of other 
States, established, in 1882, a State 
Department of Agriculture, which 
has the care of dairy and food 
supplies and allied interests, and 
also the important subject of for- 
estry. There was also estabUshed 
a Department of Banking, and a new court, known as the 
Superior Court, to relieve the Supreme Court, which was 
crowded with cases. ^ 

Still other strikes took place, this time in the coal regions. 
One among the bituminous coal miners was by great good 
fortune settled peaceably. Another in the anthracite fields, 
near Hazleton (1897), was not ended until about 3000 of the 
National Guard had been called out."' 

^ The loss to the strikers in wages was more than $1,000,000. The cost to 
the State was about $440,000. The loss to the company was not made public. 

2 The Superior Court consists of seven judges. 

^ The strikers were almost all foreigners. They were fired upon by the 
sheriff's deputies and about twenty were killed and more wounded. 




Daniel H. Hastings 
1895-1899 



CELEBRATIONS, POLITICS, LABOR TROUBLES 281 



Notwithstanding all the previous strikes in the coal regions 
and the heavy losses which had followed, there occurred in 
1902 the most extensive and prolonged strike that had 
been known. About 150,000 men continued on strike for 
six months. The supply of coal 
on the market became nearly ex- 
hausted, prices rose to a high 
level, and there was much suffer- 
ing with a prospect of severer 
trials in the approaching winter. 
At last, through the intervention 
of President Roosevelt, the mat- 
ters in dispute were submitted to 
arbitration, and the long strike 
was ended. It had lasted from 
May 2 to November 12. Many 
disturbances had occurred and 
portions of the National Guard 
had been called out until there 
were nearly 9000 men in service, 
at a great expense to the State. 

In the Spanish-American War, 1898, Pennsylvania re- 
sponded promptly to the call for troops, and about 15,000 
men were mustered into service, though only part engaged 
in actual warfare. 

Conservation of Natural Resources; ** State Constabulary." 
— The importance of the preservation or conservation of 
natural resources which claimed the attention of the whole 
country, was recognized in Pennsylvania during the term of 
Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker (1903-1907) by author- 
izing the Commissioner of Forestry first to buy lands sold 
for non-payment of taxes, and then other forest lands at a 




William A. Stone 
I 899- I 903 



282 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 




Samuel W. Pennypacker 
1903-1907 



fixed price. This has been done from time to time until 
there are about one milUon acres now in the State Forest 

Reserves. A State School of For- 
estry has also been estabhshed. A 
State Highway Department was set 
up in 1903 and aid was authorized 
to be given townships in construct- 
ing good roads. The Department 
of Health, already referred to, has 
done good work. 

At the suggestion of Governor 
Pennypacker a body known as the 
Pennfylvania Mounted Police, or 
"State Constabulary" was formed 
in 1905, with the especial object of 
preserving order. Being in contin- 
uous service they are ready to 
act at a moment's notice, and 
by their timely presence, have 
prevented riots and disturbances. 
Their first duty is to protect life 
and property and to preserve 
peace, not to punish law-breakers. 
Election Laws; Governor 
Stuart; "Graft." — Legislation of 
importance was enacted in 1905, 
including the requirement that 
voters in cities should every year 
personally register their names; 
that primary elections of all polit- 
ical parties should be held on the same day throughout 
the State; that accounts of election expenses must be made 




Edwin S. Stuart 
1907-1911 



CELEBRATIONS, POLITICS, LABOR TROUBLES 



283 



under oath or affirmation; and also other requirements in- 
tended to make poHtics purer. 

Edwin S. Stuart, who had been mayor of Philadelphia, 
(1891-1895), was chosen in 1906 to succeed Governor Penny- 
packer, and proved an excellent official. He was particularly 
interested in the conservation and development of the natural 
resources of the commonwealth. 

Among the unpleasant incidents of the period was the 
revelation of "graft" and corruption in the city administra- 
tion of Pittsburgh. The evil doings were wide-spread and 
for a time seriously injured the reputation of the city. A 
number of the wrongdoers 
were convicted and were 
fined and imprisoned. 

Reform in Philadelphia, 
1911 ; Pennsylvania '' Progres- 
sive." — At the State election 
in 1 9 10 John K. Tener, Re- 
publican, was chosen governor, 
and entered upon his duties in 
January, 191 1. The revela- 
tion of conditions in Pitts- 
burgh undoubtedly helped the 
cause of reform in Phila- 
delphia, where those who had 
the cause of straightforward, 
honest, businesslike adminis- 
tration of the city at heart, felt that many changes were 
needed. The campaign for mayor was an active one, with 
the result that Rudolph Blankenburg, a citizen of German 
birth, was chosen by a small majority.^ No mayor that 

^ He was elected by a coml^inalion of the Democratic and reform elements. 




John K, Tener 
1911- 



284 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Philadelphia has had in many years was more distinctly 
pledged to reform. His declared purpose was to administer 
the affairs of the city in accordance with non-partisan, 
strictly business principles. 

In the presidential election of 191 2 Pennsylvania, for the 
first time since the choice of James Buchanan in i860, for- 
sook the Republican party in giving a pluraHty vote for Ex- 
President Roosevelt,^ the candidate of the Progressives. 

1 The total vote was for Roosevelt 447,426, Taft 273,305, Wilson 395,619; 
Roosevelt's plurality being 51,807. 




PHILADELPHIA (irV HAI.L 

The largest manicipal building in the \v.)rltl; built 1S74-1SS7, at a cost of 

^20,000,000. The tower is 548 feet high, and is surmounted 

by a statue of William Penn 



CHAPTER XXIII 



CONCLUSION 



Philadelphia. — In reviewing the history of the State, 
attention is naturally directed to her two great cities — one 
at the eastern boundary and the other near the western — 
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. 

IMuch of the history of Philadelphia has already been given 
and need not be repeated. Her growth has been steady and 
her prosperity and wealth have been marked. Long the 
second city in the Union, she was passed by Chicago in the 
census of 1890, and has since remained in the third place. ^ 

Philadelphia is one of the greatest manufacturing centers 
in the country; Kensington, especially, in the northern part 
of the city, being a hive of industry. Comparatively few 
persons in the State are aware of the extent and variety of 
goods annually produced in the city. X'early one-half of 
all the woolen carpets and rugs made in the United States are 
manufactured in Philadelphia. The textile goods of wool, 
cotton, and silk which are made are almost without num])er. 
Cramp's shipyards are the largest in America, and the Bald- 
win Locomotive Works are the most extensive in the world. 
Space is lacking to give even a partial list of the other 
goods manufactured, so great is the variety of industries. 

In Fairmount Park Philadelphia possesses the largest city 

^ By the census of 1910 Philadelphia had a |H)i)ulalioii of 1,549.008 and 
Chicago 2,307,638. 



286 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

pleasure grounds in America, and the Schuylkill River flow- 
ing through them, and the winding romantic valley of the 
Wissahickon, give the park rare natural advantages. 

Pittsburgh. — Pittsburgh, the second city of the State, 
situated where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers join 
to form the Ohio, has been fortunate in her situation. Like 
Philadelphia she has many historical associations. Here 
Washington came in 1753 as a young man of twenty-one to 
explore the land and to treat with the French and Indians, 
as the representative of Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia. It 
was he who suggested that a fort should be built on the 
'' Point " between the two rivers. He was present on Sunday, 
November 26, 1758, when the Enghsh flag was hoisted and 
the place was named Pittsburgh,^ and he visited the town 
again in 1770. Not far off is the scene of Braddock's defeat; 
and an old block house, built in 1764, remains as witness 
to Bouquet's expedition in 1763. 

When the discovery was made that iron could be smelted 
with mineral coal the future of Pittsburgh was assured, for 
the city is surrounded by some of the most productive 
bituminous coal mines that are known. Later the discovery 
of petroleum and natural gas contributed largely to her ma- 
terial development. Her situation at the head of the Ohio 
River gives her a vast system of inland navigation, and her 
geographical position and natural resources have made her a 
great railroad center. All these things combined have 
caused her and the nearby towns to grow rapidly in wealth 
and production. The benefactions of Andrew Carnegie, 
Henry Phii)ps and others, besides those institutions estab- 
lished at the public expense, have furnished her with museums, 
galleries of art, and educational and other institutions. In 

1 The name appears to have been given by General John Forbes. 



CONCLUSION 



287 



1907 the neighboring city of Allegheny was annexed, making 
Pittsburgh one of the great cities of the Union, her population 
by the census of 19 10 being 552,900. Her great iron and steel 
works are marvels of mechanical skill and productiveness. 
Originally the iron used was mined in the neighborhood and 




Carnegie Library, Pittsburgh 

in the State, but now nearly all the ore is brought from the 
Lake Superior mines. No city in the country equals Pitts- 
burgh in the manufacture of iron and steel products. 

What has been said of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh is true 
of Pennsylvania's other cities and towns, though in a less 
degree; everywhere one sees well-conceived and well-carried 
out plans for the development of the natural resources of the 
neighborhood and the State. 

The Development of Pennsylvania . — It is only possible 
to indicate in a general way the marvellous development of 
Pennsylvania, especially in the last eighty years. She had, 
by the census of 1910, a population of 7,665,111, second only 
to New York State, and more than twice as great as that 
of the ''Thirteen Colonies" combined in 1776. She had, 



288 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

besides Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, nineteen cities having 
each a population of more than 20,000. 

Of the total population of the State in 19 10, more than eigh- 
teen per cent were foreign-born. The larger part of these live 
in the cities. Of the foreign-born the greatest number are 
Germans, followed by Irish, Russians — including Poles — 
Enghsh, Hungarians, and Itahans. In Allegheny, Cambria, 
Fayette, Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Westmoreland Coun- 
ties, the numbers are largest, in some places amounting to 
nearly one-half of the population. This fact is due to the 
presence of coal mines and iron and steel works, which are 
carried on almost wholly by foreign labor. 

The existence of so many of foreign birth, and especially 
of those congregated together, as in the coal and iron dis- 
tricts, presents many social, industrial, and pohtical problems 
difficult of solution. The inabihty of many of the immi- 
grants to understand or speak the English language is unfor- 
tunate both for employers and employees, while ignorance of 
the political institutions of America leads to much mutual 
misunderstanding. 

Pennsylvania, in the early colonial days, experienced many 
difficulties from a mingling of races, and the conditions at 
present are far more diverse than at that time. To preserve 
peace, good-will, and mutual good understanding between 
those diverse elements requires wisdom and patience. 

In Pennsylvania, as elsewhere, the population has been 
tending toward city rather than country life, about sixty per 
cent of the population being urban and about forty per cent 
rural. Nearly one half of the urban population is in the two 
cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. 

Agriculture. — Like many of the eastern States, Pennsyl- 
\ imia has shown a decrease in the acreage of farms. About 



CONCLUSION 289 

sixty-five per cent of the land area of the State is in farms, 
most of which are worked by the owners. The farm lands are 
in the eastern and central portions of the State. The farms 
of Lancaster, Chester, and Bucks Counties maintain their 
high reputation. 

The State encourages farming through her Department of 
Agriculture. The largest crops are Indian corn, wheat, 
oats, potatoes and hay. The value and quahty of the apple, 
peach, and other fruit crops, is high. The butter, poultry, 
and eggs produced reach millions of dollars in value. 

Pennsylvania was formerly a large producer of lumber, 
but the amount cut has necessarily greatly decreased, owing 
to the unwise system of forestry hitherto practiced almost 
everywhere in the Union, yet, notwithstanding, large quan- 
tities of various kinds of timber are annually marketed. 

Manufactures. — In the value of manufactured products 
Pennsylvania ranks second of the United States, New York 
taking the lead. In 1909 the number of manufacturing estab- 
lishments in Pennsylvania was 27,563, the number of persons 
engaged in manufacturing 1,002,000, the value of products 
upwards of $2,600,000,000, and the capital invested about 
$2,750,000,000. Of these vast numbers one-third belongs 
to three industries, in each of which the State ranked first in 
the country — iron and steel works; foundry and machine 
shops; and the production of iron and steel from blast 
furnaces. 

Pennsylvania is also first in manufacturing coke; in tan- 
ning, currying and finishing leather; in the manufacture of 
glass; of tin plate; and in the production of cement, now so 
extensively used in the manufacture of concrete. Most of 
the structural iron and steel for buildings and bridges in the 
United States is manufactured within her borders. 



290 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Her production of silk and other textile fabrics; of carpets 
and rugs; and of knitted goods is enormous. 

Pennsylvania surpasses any other State in mineral wealth, 
and her mines produce more coal than any country in the 
world, Great Britain and Germany excepted. 

It is not practicable to name more of Pennsylvania's pro- 
ductions, but enough has been said to give some idea of the 
number, the variety and the value of the industries that 
occupy her people. 

Education. — Once somewhat indifferent to public educa- 
tion, Pennsylvania has for a long time placed a high value 
upon it, and the development in all that goes to make pubHc 
education effective has been steady. Her school system is 
excellent, and in her normal schools, her high schools, and 
those of lower grade, her youth have ample opportunity to 
acquire sound and useful learning, while the University of 
Pennsylvania and a score of colleges, some of the highest rank, 
are available for those who desire an advanced education. 

A new school code, passed by the Legislature in 191 1, 
makes some changes in the management and control of the 
State educational system, perhaps the most important being 
the definite provisions for industrial education, and the pro- 
vision for taking over the thirteen State normal schools 
under State control. 

The death in 191 2 of the widow of R. N. Carson of Phila- 
delphia released his bequest of about $6,000,000 for the 
estabhshment of a school for fatherless girls somewhat after 
the plan of Girard College. The institution will be situated 
at Langhornc, near Philadelphia. 

The '' Keystone State." — ^Pennsylvania has been called 
from early days the ''Keystone State." Though the origin 
of the name is not certainly known, it is easy to see how the 



CONCLUSION 291 

name may have arisen, for Pennsylvania was the central 
State of the "Original Thirteen," and the ligure of an arch 
was a symbol which would naturally suggest itself.^ 

Pennsylvania's Position in the Union ; History. — It would 
not be possible now to speak of any one of the forty-eight 
States of the Union as being the keystone of the vast fabric 
which we call the United States, but it is justifiable to recog- 
nize the important position which Pennsylvania holds in the 
Union, particularly in natural resources and in manufactures. 
Her history of two hundred and thirty years is crowded with 
incident and full of lessons, poHtical, social, and material. 
Pennsylvania w^as unique among the American colonies in 
that the conception of her government and also her early 
administration were the work of one man, whose lofty ideas 
of civil liberty and religious freedom were far ahead of his 
time. How pervading his influence was it is not possible to 
tell, but it is certain that the example and experience of his 
commonwealth have not been wholly in vain. As a result of 
William Penn's "Holy Experiment," principles, thought to 
be visionary, have been proved to be not only practicable but 
also desirable. Peace, justice to all, prevention of crime and 
evil rather than punishment, equal opportunity for all, arc 
now common watchwords of those who are truly progressive. 

The purpose of this book is not only to give an outline of 
the history of the great State, but so to place the panorama 
of her history before the reader as to arouse and to strengthen 
a determination to take part in all movements which forward 
the best interests and welfare of her citizens. 

^ There is in the possession of the American Philosophical Society an old 
print dating from the time of the French alliance during the American Rev- 
olution, which rei)resents the thirteen States in the form of an arch with 
Pennsylvania as the keystone. 



APPENDIX 



GOVERNMENT OF PENNSYLVANIA. 1682-1913 

Proprietors 

William Penn 1681-1693 

Under the crown of P2ngland 1 693-1 694 

William Penn (Pennsylvania restored to him) 1695-1718 

John Penn, Richard Penn, Thomas Penn 1718-1746 

John Penn (2nd), Thomas Penn 1746-17 76 

Governors, Deputy Governors, Lieutenant Governors 

William Markham, Deputy Governor 1681-1684 

William Penn, Proprietor and Governor 168 2- 1684 

The Council, Thomas Lloyd, President 1684-1686 

1. Thomas Lloyd 

2. Robert Turner 

3. Arthur Cook 

4. John Simcock I 

5. John Eckley j 

Captain John Blackwell, Deputy Governor 1688-1690 

The Council, Thomas Lloyd, President 1690-1 691 

Thomas Lloyd, Deputy Governor Pennsylvania |^ 



Appointed by William Penn 1 686-1 688 



William Markham, Deputy Governor Lower Counties \ 

Benjamin Fletcher of New York, Governor 1 693-1 695 

William Markham, Deputy Governor 1693-1699 

Andrew Hamilton, Lieutenant (Governor 1 701-1703 

The Council, Edward Shippen, President 1 703-1 704 

John Evans, Lieutenant Governor 1704-1709 

Charles Gookin, Lieutenant Governor 1709-1717 

Sir WMUiam Keith, Lieutenant Governor 171 7-1 726 

Patrick (iordon, Lieutenant Governor 1726-1736 

The Council, James Logan, President 1736-1738 

George Thomas, Lieutenant (JoAcnior 1738 1746 



294 APPENDIX 

The Council, Anthony Palmer, President 1 746-1 748 

James Hamilton, Lieutenant Governor 1 748-1754 

Robert Hunter Morris, Deputy Governor 1 754-1 756 

Wilham Denny, Lieutenant Governor 1 756-1 759 

James Hamilton, Lieutenant Governor 1 759-1 763 

-r , ^ ^ son of Richard W. ) , . ^ ^ ^ . 

John Penn -^ , r „. t^ S Lieutenant Governor 1763-1771 

( grandson of W. P. ) 

The Council, James Hamilton, President April 177 i-Oct. 177 1 

Richard Penn, ■^ , ,,, ^ ^ Lieutenant Governor .... 1771-177^ 
( grandson W. P. ) 

John Penn, Lieutenant Governor (2nd term) i773~i776 



Presidents of Supreme Executive Council 

Thomas Wharton, Jr 1 777-1 778 

Joseph Reed 1 778-1 781 

William Moore 1781-1782 

John Dickinson 1 782-1 785 

Benjamin Franklin *. 1 785-1 788 

Thomas Mifflin 1788-1790 



Governors of the Commonwealth 

Under the Constitution of 1790 

Thomas Mififlin (3 terms) 1 790-1 799 

Thomas McKean (3 terms) 1 799-1808 Democrat 

Simon Snyder (3 terms) 1808-1817 

William Findlay 181 7-1820 

Joseph Hiester 18 20-1 8 23 Federalist 

John Andrew Shulze (2 terms) 1823-1829 Democrat 

George Wolf (2 terms) 1829-1835 " 

Joseph Ritner 1835-1839 Anti-Masonic 

Under the Constitution of 1838 

David Rittenhouse Porter (2 terms) 1839-1845 Democrat 

Francis Rawn Shunk (resigned) 1 845-1 848 

William Freame Johnston 1848-185 2 Whig 

William Biglcr 1852-1855 Democrat 

James Pollock 1855-1858 Whig-American 



STATE OFFICIALS 295 

William Fisher Packer 1858-1861 Democrat 

Andrew Gregg Curtin (2 terms) 1861-1867 Republican 

John White Geary (2 terms) 1867-1873 " 

John Frederick Hartranft 1873-1876 " 



Under the Constitution oj 1S73 

John Frederick Hartranft (2nd term) 1876-1879 Republican 

Henry Martyn Hoyt 1879-1883 

Robert Emory Pattison 1883-1887 Democrat 

James Addams Beaver " 1887-1891 Republican 

Robert Emory Pattison 1 891-1895 Democrat 

Daniel Hartman Hastings 1895-1899 Republican 

William Alexis Stone 1899-1903 

Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker 1903-1907 " 

Edwin Snyder Stuart 1907-1911 " 

John Kinley Tener 191 1- " 



296 APPENDIX 

OFFICIALS OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT 
FROM PENNSYLVANIA. 1783-1913 

President of Congress 
Thomas Mifflin .... Nov. 3, 1783 Arthur St. Clair . . . Feb. 2, 1787 

President 
James Buchanan 1857-1861 

Vice-President 
George M. Dallas 1845-1849 

Secretary of State 

Timothy Pickering . . . 1 795-1800 Jeremiah S. Black . . . i86a-i86i 
James Buchanan .... 1845-1849 Philander C. Knox . . . 1909-1913 

Secretary of the Treasury 

Albert Gallatin 1801-1814 WiUiam J. Duane .... 1833 

Alexander J. Dallas . . . 1814-1817 Walter Forward .... 1841-1843 

Richard Rush 1825-1829 William M. Meredith . . 1849-1850 

Samuel D. Ingham . . . 1829-1831 

Secretary of War 

Timothy Pickering . . . 1795 Simon Cameron .... 1861-1862 

James M. Porter .... 1843-1844 Edwin M. Stanton . . . 1862-1868 
William Wilkins. .... 1844-1845 J. Donald Cameron . . . 1876-1877 

Secretary of the Navy 
Wilham Jones 1813-1814 Adolf E. Borie 1869 

Secretary of the Interior 
T. M. T. McKennan 1850 



NATIONAL OFFICIALS 



297 



Timothy Pickering 
James Campbell . 
John Wanamaker . 



Postmaster General 

1 791-1795 Charles Emor>' Smith 
1853-1857 Robert J. Wynne . . 
1889-1893 



I 095- I 90 2 
I 904- I 905 



Attorney General 

William Bradford .... 1 794-1 795 Titian J. Coflfey (ad in- 

Richard Rush 1814-1817 terim) 

Henry D. Gilpin .... 1840-1841 Wayne McVeagh .... 

Jeremiah S. Black . . . 1857-1860 Benjamin H. Brewster . . 

Edwin M. Stanton (Ohio). 1860-1861 Philander C. Knox . . . 



1863 

1881 

1881-1885 

1901-1904 



Associate Justices of the Supreme Coutit 

James Wilson 1 789-1 798 William Strong 1870-1880 

Henry Baldwin 1830-1846 George Shiras. Jr 1892-1902 

Robert C. Grier .... 1846-1870 



William Bingham 
James Ross . . 



President Pro Tem. of the Senate 
. . . . 1797 Andrew Gregg . . 



1809-1810 



1799 



Speaker of the House of Representatives 



Frederick Augustus Muh- |^ 1 789-1 791 
lenberg j 1 793-1 795 



Galusha A. Grow . 
Samuel J. Randall 



1861-1863 
1876-1881 



United States Senators from Pennsylvania 

William Maclay .... 1 789-1 791 Abner Leacock . 

Robert Morris 1 789-1 795 Jonathan Roberts 

Albert Gallatin 1 793-1 794 Walter Lowrie . 

James Ross 1 794-1803 William Findlay 

William Bingham .... 1 795-1801 William Marks . 

John P. G. Muhlenberg . 1801 Isaac I). Barnard 

George Logan 1801-1807 George M. Dalhis 

Samuel Maclay 1803-1808 William Wilkins. 

Andrew Gregg 1807-1813 Samuel McKean 

Michael Leib 1808-1814 James Buchanan 



1813-1819 
1814-182 1 
1819-1825 
1821-1827 
1825-1831 
1827-1831 
1831-1833 
1831-1834 
1833-1839 
I 834-1 845 



298 






APPENDIX 






Daniel Sturgeon 1839-1851 


John Scott 


1869- 


1875 


Simon Cameron 






I 845-1 849 


William A. Wallace . . 


1875- 


1881 


James Cooper. . . 






1849-1855 


J. Donald Cameron . . 


1877- 


1897 


Richard Brodhead 






1851-1857 


John I. Mitchell . . . 


1881- 


1887 


William Bigler . . 






1855-1861 


Matthew Stanley Quay 


1887- 


1899 


Simon Cameron 






1857-1861 


u a u 


1901- 


-1904 


David Wilmot . . 






1861-1863 


Boies Penrose .... 


1897- 




Edgar Cowan . . 






1861-1867 


Philander C. Knox . . 


1904- 


1909 


Charles N. Buckalew 




1863-1869 


George T. Oliver . . . 


. 1909- 




Simon Cameron 






1867-1877 









CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 



299 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF INTERESTING EVENTS IN PENN- 
SYLVANIA HISTORY 

1646. First mention made of Upland, now Chester. 
1669. Block-house built at Wicaco, used as a Church, 1677. 

1682. John Key, the first English child born in Philadelphia. 

1683. The first grist-mill built near Germantown. First school in Phila- 

delphia, taught by Enoch Flower. 
1685. First printing-press in Philadelphia, established by William Bradford; 
an almanac the first issue; the first book, "The excellent Prixilege 
of Liberty & Property." 

1688. First official protest in America against slavery, by the German Quakers 

of Germantown, 

1689. Germantown incorporated. "Public school" established in Phila- 

delphia; chartered by William Penn in 1701, 1708 and 171 1, still 
exists as the "William Penn Charter School." 
1696. The first paper-mill in Pennsylvania, erected near Germantown, by 
William Rittenhouse (Rittinghuysen). 

1700. "Old Swedes' Church" built on site of old block-house at Wicaco. John 

Penn, son of William Penn, born in the "Old Slate Roof House," 
Philadelphia. 

1 701. Philadelphia chartered as a city. 

1 716. Iron furnace built by William Rutter, near Pottstown. 

1 7 18. William Penn died at Ruscombe, l^^ngland. 

1723. Benjamin Franklin arrived at Philadelphia. 

1729. The Pennsyhajiia Gazette begun by Franklin. 

1 731. Library begun by Benjamin P'ranklin; chartered as the Library Company 

of Philadelphia in 1742. 

1732. The State-House, Philadelphia, begun; finished in 1741. 

1733. Weekly line of stages between Philadelphia and New York begun. 
1738. Benjamin West born in Springfield, Delaware County (then Chester 

County). First Fire company organized in Philadelphia by 
Franklin. 
1743. The American Philosophical Society founded in Philadelphia; German 
Bible printed at Germantown by Christopher Sauer, the first Bible 
printed in America. 

1746. The first iron rolling and slitting mill in Pennsylvania. 

1747. The first steel furnace erected in Philadelphia. 

1749. Academy established at Germantown, now known as "The German- 
town Academy." 



300 APPENDIX 

1751. The Pennsylvania Hospital founded at Philadelphia; buildings erected 

1755- 

1752. The State-House bell, "Liberty Bell," imported from England, recast 

in Philadelphia, 1753. 
1756. Line of stages and wagons established between Philadelphia and Balti- 
more. 

1763. Mason and Dixon began to run the boundary line between Pennsylvania 

and Maryland, completed in 1784 by David Rittenhouse. 

1764. First medical school in the United States founded, now the medical 

department of the University of Pennsylvania. 

1769. The Transit of Venus observed at Philadelphia by David Rittenhouse. 

1770. Carpenters' Hall, at Philadelphia, built. 

1774. First Continental Congress met in Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia. 

1776. Declaration of Independence, July 4th. Law passed for establishing 
schools in every county. 

1782. First English Bible in America, printed by Robert Aitkin at Phila- 
delphia. 

1785. John Fitch exhibited the model of a steamboat. 

1786. First American Dispensary established at Philadelphia by Dr. Benjamin 

Rush; John Fitch navigated a steamboat on the Delaware. 
1790. Congress begins its sessions in Philadelphia. Fitch's steamboats make 
regular trips for four months between Philadelphia and Trenton. 

1792. The first turnpike road in the United States, from Philadelphia to 

Lancaster, begun. The Schuylkill and Delaware Canal chartered, 
the first public canal in the United States. 

1793. Second inauguration of President Washington, in Congress Hall. 

1 797. John Adams inaugurated President of the United States in Congress Hall. 

1799. Lancaster the State Capital until 18 10. 

1800. Seat of the national government removed from Philadelphia to Wash- 

ington. 

1 801. Philadelphia supplied with Schuylkill water from Centre Square. 

1802. Anthracite coal first burned in grates in Philadelphia. 
1805. The Academy of Fine Arts of Philadelphia founded. 

1809. Thomas Leiper's railroad worked by horse-power on wooden rails at 

Leiperville, Delaware County. 

1810. Harrisburg the State Capital. 

181 1. First steamboat on Western waters launched at Pittsburgh. 

181 2. First iron rolling-mill at Pittsburgh; P'airmount Water Works, Phila- 

delphia, begun; finished 181 5. Academy of Natural Sciences 
founded. 

1 8 14. Anthracite coal first burned successfully in a furnace, at Philadelphia. 

181 5. Schuylkill Navigation Canal begun. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 301 

1818. First steamboat launched on Lake Erie. 

1822. State Legislature met in the Capitol at Harrisburg. 

1825. Historical Society of Pennsylvania founded at Philadelphia. 

1827. Mauch Chunk railroad built. 

1829. First steam locomotive used in America, on Carbondalc and Honesdale 
Railroad. 

1 83 1. Stephen Girard died, the richest man in the country, worth about eight 

million dollars. First locomotive built at Baldwin Locomotive 
Works. 

1832. The Philadelphia, Germanto^^^l and Norristown Railroad finished. 
1834. Common-school system of Pennsjdvania established. Canal and rail- 
road opened to Pittsburgh; operated by horse power until 1836. 

1854. Consolidation of Philadelphia city and county. 

1857. Normal School biU passed; first State Normal School opened at Millers- 

ville, 1859. 

1876. Centennial Exposition held at Philadelphia. 

1887. The Philadelphia City charter, known as the "Bullitt Bill," in operation. 

1889. Johnstown flood. 

1897. State Capitol burned at Harrisburg. 

1907. Pittsburgh and Allegheny consolidated into one city. 



302 



APPENDIX 



ORGANIZATION OF COUNTIES AND COUNTY TOWNS 



Counties 


Taken from 


F 


ORMED 


County Towns La 


ID Out 


Chester 


Original 




1682 


West Chester 


1786 


Bucks 


Original 




1682 


Doylestown 


1778 


Philadelphia 


Origmal 




1682 


Philadelphia 


1682 


Lancaster 


Chester 




1729 


Lancaster 


1730 


York 


Lancaster 




1749 


York 


1 741 


Cumberland 


Lancaster 




1750 


Carlisle 


175I 


Berks 


Philadelphia, Bucks, Lancaster 


1752 


Reading 


1748 


Northampton 


Bucks 




1752 


Easton 


1738 


Bedford 


Cumberland 




I77I 


Bedford 


1766 


Northumberland 


Lancaster, Cumberland, Berks, 










Bedford, Northampton 




1772 


Sunbury 


1772 


Westmoreland 


Bedford, and purchase of 


1784 


1773 


Greensburg 


1782 


Washington 


Westmoreland 




I78I 


Washington 


1782 


Fayette 


Westmoreland 




1783 


Uniontown 


1767 


Franklin 


Cumberland 




1784 


Chambersburg 


1764 


Montgomery- 


Philadelphia 




1784 


Norristown 


1784 


Dauphin 


Lancaster 




1785 


Ilarrisburg 


1785 


Luzerne 


Northumberland 




1786 


Wilkesbane 


1783 


Huntingdon 


Bedford 




1787 


Huntingdon 


1767 


Allegheny 


Westmoreland, Washington 


1788 


Pittsburg 


1765 


Delaware 


Chester 




1789 


Media 


1849 


Mifflin 


Cumberland, Northumberland 


1789 


Lewistown 


1790 


Somerset 


Bedford 




1795 


Somerset 


1795 


Lycoming 


Northumberland 




1795 


Williamsport 


1796 


Greene 


Washington 




1796 


Waynesburg 


1796 


Wayne 


Northumberland 




1796 


Honesdale 


1826 


Armstrong 


Allegheny, Westmoreland) 


,Ly- 










coming 




1800 


Kittanning 


1804 


Adams 


York 




1800 


Gettysburg 


1780 


Butler 


Allegheny 




1800 


Butler 


1803 


Beaver 


Allegheny, Washington 




1800 


Beaver 


1791 


Centre 


Mifflin, Northumberland, 1 


Ly- 










coming, Huntingdon 




1800 


Bellefonte 


1795 


Crawford 


Allegheny 




1800 


Meadville 


1795 


Erie 


Allegheny 




1800 


Erie 


1795 



COUNTIES AND COUNTY TOWNS 



303 



Counties 


Taken from Formeo 


Coi'NTY Towns Laid OrT 


Mercer 


Allegheny 


1800 


Mercer 


1803 


Venango 


Allegheny, Lycoming 


1800 


Franklin 


1795 


Warren 


Allegheny, J.ycoming 


1800 


Warren 


1795 


Indiana 


Westmoreland, Lycoming 


1803 


Indiana 


1805 


Jefferson 


Lycoming 


1804 


Brookville 


1830 


McKean 


Lycoming 


1804 


Smethport 


1807 


Potter 


Lycoming 


1804 


Coudersport 


1807 


Tioga 


Lycoming 


1804 


Welisboro 


1806 


Cambria 


Huntingdon, Somerset, Bedford 1804 


Ebensburg 


1805 


Clearfield 


Lycoming 


1804 


Clearfield 


1805 


Bradford 


Luzerne, Lycoming 


1810 


Towanda 


1812 


Susquehanna 


Luzerne 


1810 


Montrose 


1811 


Schuylkill 


Berks, i^iprthampton 


1811 


Pottsville 


1816 


Lehigh 


Northampton 


1812 


AUentown 


1751 


Lebanon 


Dauphin, Lancaster 


1813 


Lebanon 


1750 


Columbia 


Northumberland 


1813 


Bloomsburg 


1802 


Union 


Northumberland 


1813 


Lewisburg 


1785 


Pike 


Wayne 


1814 


Milford 


1800 


Perry 


Cumberland 


1820 


New Bloomfield 


1822 


Juniata 


Mifflin 


1831 


Mifflintown 


1791 


Monroe 


Northampton, Pike 


1836 


Stroudsburg 


1806 


Clarion 


Venango, Armstrong 


1839 


Clarion 


1840 


Clinton 


Lycoming, Centre 


1839 


Lockhaven 


1833 


Wyoming 


Luzerne 


1842 


Tunkhannock 


1790 


Carbon 


Northampton, Monroe 


1843 


Mauchchunk 


1815 


Elk 


Jefferson, Clearfield, McKean 


1843 


Ridgway 


1843 


Blair 


Huntingdon, Bedford 


1846 


Hollidaysburg 


1820 


Sullivan 


Lycoming 


1847 


Laporte 


1850 


Forest 


Jefferson, Venango 


1848 


Tionesta 


1852 


Fulton 


Bedford 


1850 


McConnellsburg 


: 1786 


Lawrence 


Beaver, Mercer 


1850 


New Castle 


1S02 


Montour 


Columbia 


1850 


Danville 


1790 


Snyder 


Union 


1855 


Middleburg 


1800 


Cameron 


Chnton, Elk, McKean, Potter 


i860 


Emporium 


1861 


Lackawanna 


Luzerne 


1878 


Scranton 


1840 



INDEX 



Abolition Society, Pennsylvania, 240 
Adams, John, 140, 146, 172, 174, 186, 187 
Adet, "Citizen," 186 
Agriculture, 75, 178, 28g 

State Department of, 280 
Aitkin, Robert, 198 
Albany Congress, 96 
Algonkin, 2, 109 
Allegheny City, 287 
Allentown, 190 
Almshouse (1731), 87 
American Anti-Slavery Society, 240, 241 
"American Party," 251 
American Philosophical Society, 206 
Anthracite coal, 177, 218-220, 286 
Anti-Masonic Party, 223 (and note), 227 
Armstrong, Colonel, 104 
Arnold, Benedict, 154 
Arthur Mervyn, 199 
Articles of Confederation (1777), 167 
Assembly, Pennsylvania, 29, 34, 46 

and Charter of Privileges, 58, 59, 68, 

77, 79, 99, 104, 106-108, 114, 126, 

138, 141 
Audubon, James, 203 
Aurora, the, 187 
Austin, Flood at, 278 

Baldwin Locomotive Works, 285 
Ballot Reform, 279 
Baltimore, Lord, 24, 34, 35 

claims against Pennsylvania, 43, 44> 89 
Bank of North America, 162, 163, note 
175, 214 

of Pennsylvania, 214 

of the United States, 174, 212; the 
second, 213, 229, 230 
Banking, Department of, 280 
Banks, State, 214 
Bard, David, 240 
Barony, Welsh, 40 
Barr6, Isaac, 127, note 



Barry, Commodore, 152 

Bartram, John, 201, 203, 206 

Beaver, James A., 279 

Bedford, 190 

Benezet, Anthony, 157 

Berkeley, John, Lord, 14 

Berks County, 74, 100, 193 

Bethlehem, 74, 190, 201 

Bible, First American Edition, 198 

Biddle, Edward, 134, (note) 

Biddle, James, 211 

Biddle, Nicholas, 230 (note) 

Bigler, William, 249 

Bingham, William, 196 

Bituminous Coal, 193, 286 

Black, Jeremiah S., 255 

Blackwell, John, 46, 47 

Blankenburg, Rudolph, 283 

Blue Anchor Tavern, ^2 

Boker, George H., 248 

Bond, Dr. Thomas, 196, 206 

Boundary disputes, 30, 34, 42-44> 

118-124 
Bouquet, Henry, 108 
Braddock's defeat, 100 
Bradford, William, 50 (and note), 198 
Brandywine, Battle of, 146 
Brant, Jacob, 158 
Breck, Samuel, 225 
Bridges, 191, 217 
Brown, Charles Brockden, 198 
Brown, David Paul, 242 
Brown, Jacob, 211 
Bryan, George, 157 
Buchanan, James, 245, 255, 257 
Bucks County, 23, 34, 37, 74, 90 
"Buckshot War," 234 
BulHtt Bill, 278 
Burr, Aaron, 189 
Burrowes, Thomas H., 253 
Butler, Colonel John, 158 
Byllynge, Edward, 14, 



INDEX 



305 



Callowhill, Hannah, 55 (note) 

see Hannah Penn. 
Cameron, J. Donald, 272 
Cameron, Simon. 265, 271 
Camp Curlin, 250 

Canals, 17O, 216-218, 233, 235, 237, 239 
Capitol, state; burned, 276; rebuilt, 276; 

frauds in building, 276 
Carey, Matthew, 198, 247 (and note) 
Carlisle, Abraham, 154, 155 
Carnegie, Andrew, 286 
Carpenters' Hall, 134, 13S, i39. i74 
Carteret, Sir George, 14 
Caves in Delaware River bank, 33, 42, 46 
Cement, 289 
Centennial (1876) 274 
Centennial of Constitution (1787). 27S 
Chadd's Ford, 146 
Chambersburg, 260, 261, 265 
Charles II, 9, 14, i5> i7, 18, 44 
Charter of Pennsylvania, 19-22 
Charter of Philadelphia (1701), 60 
Charter of Privileges 1701, 58, 59 
Chester (Upland), 9, 24, 26, 30, 32, 

190 
Chester County, 34. 37, 74, i93, 201 
Chew house, 148 
Christ Church, 86 
Christina, Fort, 7 
City Hall, Philadelphia, 275, 276 
Clay, Henry, 227 (note), 230 
Clinton, Sir Henry, 152 
Clymer, George, 140 (note), 167, 168 
Coal, 177, 193, 218-220, 286 
Coal strikes, 280, 281 
Coale, Josiah, 14 
Columbia, 238 
Columbia bridge, 238 
Commerce, foreign, 194 
Committee of One Hundred (1880), 278 
Committee of Public Safety, 137 
Conestoga, in 
Conestoga Indians, 2, in, 112 

massacre, 112 
Conestoga wagons, 190, 191, 237 
Confederates in Pennsylvania, 259-265 
Congress Hall, 172 (and note) 
Connecticut claims, 120-123 
Conrad, Robert T., 254 
Consolidation of Philadelphia, 253, 254 
Conspiracy, the Pontiac, 109, no 
Constitution of United States, 168, 169 



Constitutional Conventions, Pennsylvania 
of 1776,140; of 1790, 170; of 1838, 231; 
of 1873, 270 

Constitutional Convention, United States, 
166-169 

Constitutions of Pennsylvania 

of 1776, 143, 144; of I7QO, 170, 171 
of 1838, 231; of 1873," 269-271 

Continental Congress, First, 134, 135 
Second, 136, 147 
leaves Philadelphia, 161 (and note) 

Conventions, Nominating, 222 

Cooke, Jay and Co., 272 

Council, Pennsylvania, 28, 46, 48, 59 

Council of Censors, 144 

Counties, "The Lower (Delaware)," 34, 
44, 48, 51, 59, 67 

Cramp's shipyards, 285 

Crimes and penalties, 28, 77, 144 

Cumberland County, 100, 193 

Curtin, Andrew G., 256, 258, 259, 261, 
266, 277 

Curtih, Camp, 259 

Cutler, Manasseh, 164, 166 

Dallas, Alexander J., 212, 213 

Darragh, Lydia, 149 

Dauphin County, 165 (note) 

Decatur, Stephen, 211 

Declaration of Independence, 139, 140 

Declaratory Act, 130 

Delaware, 4, 22, 34; a separate colony, 59 

Delaware Bay, 4, 53 

Delaware Indians, 2, 4, 92, 100, 102, 104 

Delaware River, caves in bank, ^s, 42, 46 

Dutch colonies on, 5, 6 

Swedish colonies on, 6-8 

first popular legislative body meets on, 

34 
Delaware and Hudson Canal Co., 236 
Dennie, Joseph, 199 
Denny, William, 106 
Department of Agriculture, 280 

Banking, 280 

Education, 253 

State Highway, 282 
Dickinson, John, 115, 116, 127 (note), 
131, 132, 134, 140, 161, 166, 201 
Dickinson College, 163 
Dixon, Jeremiah, 118, 119 (and note) 
Dobson. Thomas, ig8 
Dock, Christopher, 201 



3o6 



INDEX 



Dock Creek, Dock Street, 32 164 
Duane, William, 187, 188 
Duane, William J., 230 (note) 
Duke of York, see York, Duke of 
Dunkards, 74, 75, 144 
Duquesne, Fort, 98, 100, 104, 108 
Dutch, the 

Conquer New Sweden, 8, 9 

on the Delaware, i, 5, 6 

settlements taken by English, 10, 1 1 

West India Company, 5, 9 

Early, General, 262 
Easton, 105, 190 
Easton Conference, 105 
Education 

E. Flower's School, 39 

WiUiam Penn Charter School, 48, 49 

Dickinson College, 163 

in Eighteenth Century, 200 

Germantown Academy, 201 

Early Ninteenth Century, 224, 225 

Lancastrian method, 224 

Act of 1834, 225 

Governor Wolf and, 226 

Girard College, 228, 229 

progress in, 253 

Normal Schools, 253 

Department of, 253 

New School Code, 290 
Election of 1838, 233, 234 
Election Laws (1905), 282 
Election Riot (1742), 94 
Electrical Exhibition, 275 
Elm, Treaty, 35, 36 
Embargo Act (1807), 208, 209 
English take Dutch Settlements on Dela- 
ware, 10, II 

take Manhattan, 9 
Ephrata, 74 

Episcopalians, schools of, 201 
Erie Canal, 216 

Erie, Lake, Pennsylvania coast line, 124 
Erie, triangle, purchase of, 124 
Evans, John, 64-67 (and note) , 68 
Evans, Oliver, 177, 236 



Fairmount Park, 286 
"Farmers Letters, A," 131, 
Fenno, John, 187 
Fenwick, John, 14, 15 



132 



Fillmore, Millard, 251, 255 

Financial Crises, 1837, 230; 1857, 252; 

1873, 272 
Financial Difficulties of Pennsylvania, 

232-235 
Findlay, William, 216 
Fire Company, Union, 87 
Fitch, John, steamboat, 176, 204 
Fletcher, Governor, 51, 52 
Flower, Enoch, 39 (and note), 48 
Forbes, General, 108 
Fords, the, and William Penn, 61 
Foreigners in state, 288 
Forestry, State School of, 281, 
"Forks of the Delaware," 90, 102 
Fort Christina, 7 

Duquesne, 89, 98, 100, 104, 108 

Mercer, 148, 149 

Mifflin, 148, 149 

Nassau, 5, 6 
"Foi"ty Fort," 122, 158 
Fox, George, 12, 15 (note) 
Fox, Gilbert, 186 
"Frame of Government," 27-30 
France, sympathy with, 186, 187 
Franklin, Benjamin 

comes to Philadelphia, 80 

and newspapers, 82 

Poor Richard's Almanac, 83 

sympathizes with popular party, 94 

sent to Albany Congress, 96 

sent to England, 106, 107 115, 116 

returns from England, 135 

made postmaster general, 137 

and Declaration of Independence, 140 

return of, 166 

President of the State, 166 

in Constitutional Convention, 167 

statue of, 196 

services of, 141, 196, 198, 205, 206 

death and funeral, 171 
Franklin College, 201 (and note) 
Free Quakers, 138 
Fremont, John C, 255 
French Huguenots, 39 
French and Indian War, 100 
"Friendly Association," 105 (and note) 
Friends, see Quakers 
Fries Rebellion, 183, 184 
Fugitive Slave Act 1850, 249 
Fulton, Robert, 204 
Furly, Benjamin, 27 



INDEX 



307 



Gallatin, Albkkt, 182, 183, 212 
Galloway, Joseph, 115, iib (and note), 

134 (note), 151, 153 
Garrett, Thomas, 250 (note) 
(]as, natural, 269 

Gazette of the United Slates, The, 187 
Geary, John W., 264, 267, 269 
" Gentleman's party," 94 
German immigrants, 39, 41, 42, 73-75, 81 
Germantown, 42, 74, 193 

Battle of, 148 
Germantown Academy, 201 
Gettysburg, 262-265 
Ghent, Treat}' of, 211 
Girard, Stephen, 178, 194—196, 213 (and 

note), 214, 227 (and notes) 
Girard College, 228 (and note), 229 
Gnadenhutten, 100, 102 
Godcy's Ladies' Book, 247 
Gookin, Governor, 69, 70, 71, 77 
Gordon, Governor, 80, 88, 89 
Gowen, Franklin B., 272 
Graham s Magazine, 247, 248 
" Great Law," or Penn's Body of Laws, 34 
Grow, Galusha A., 265 
Gustavus Adolphus, 6 

"Hail Columbia," 186 
Hamilton, Alexander, 168, 174 
Hamilton, Andrew, Governor, 63, 64 
Hamilton, Andrew, the lawyer, 83, 85 
Hamilton, James, Qi, 106 
Hancock, Winfield S., 259, 264, 273 
Harris, John, 165 
Harrisburg, 100, 165 

state capital, 185 (note), 216, 231, 233, 
261, 262, 270, 276 
Harris's Ferry, 165 
Harrison, William Henry, 245 
Hastings, Daniel H., 280 
Haverford College, 227 
Hazard, Erskine, 219 
Hazelton strike, 280 (and note) 
Hendricksen, 4 
Henry, Alexander, 257 
Hiester, Joseph, 223 
"High License Law," 277 
Highway, Department, 282 
Hill. Richard, 67, 68 
Holme. Thomas, 26 
"Holy Experiment," 32 
Homestead strike, 279, 280 (and note) 



Hopkinson, Francis, 198 

Hopkinson, Joseph, 186 

Hospital, Pennsylvania, 196, 197, 206 

"Hot-Water" Rebellion, 183 (note) 

Howe, General, 145, 146, 148, 151, 152 

Hudson, Henry, 4 

Hughes, John, 127, 128 

Huguenots, 39 

Humphreys, Charles, 134 (note) 

Immigrants, Early, 39 

in Eighteenth Century, 214 
Inclined plane, 238 
Independence Hall, 84, 140, 257 
Indians, 

Algonkins, 2, 109 

Conestogas, 2, in, 112 

Delawares, 2, 92, 100, 102, 104, 105 

Iroquois, 2, 97 

Lenni Lenape, 2 

Minsi or Minisinks, 2, 90, 91 

Seneca, 158 

Shawnees or Shawanese, 2, 104, 105 

Six Nations, 92, 158, 159 

Unalachtigo, 2 

Unami, 2 

characteristics of, 2-4 

Conestoga Massacre, 112 

French and Indian War, 100 

lands purchased from, 37 

laws concerning treatment of, 30 

Penn's treaty with, 36 

purchases from, 97 

attitude toward Quakers, 97 

value of as allies, 96 

Walking Purchase, 89-92 

Wyoming Massacre, 158, 159 
Ingersoll, Jared, 167 (note) 
Ingram, Samuel D., 214 
Insurance Co. of North America, 175 

State of Pennsylvania, 175 
Internal improvements, 216-218 
Irish immigrants, 39 

Iron industry, 88, 193, 219, 220, 286, 287 
Iroquois, 2, 97 

Jackson, .\ndrew, 229, 230 
James II, 44; see also York. Duke of 
Jeflferson, Thomas, 188, 189, 207, 208 
Johnstown, 218; llood. 277, 278 
Juniata, valley of the, 193 
Junto, the, 205, 20O 



3o8 



INDEX 



Kearsley, Dr. John, 86 

Keith, George, 49 (and note), 50 (and note) 

Keith, WilUam, Sir, 77, 80 

Kensington, 35, 36, 237, 243, 285 

Key, John, 33 

"Keystone State," 291 

Kilpatrick, Gen., 262 

Kittanning, 104 

Kittatinny, mountains, 103 

"Know Nothing Party," 251, 254 

Lafayette, Marquis de, 146 
Lafayette College, 227 
Lancaster, 112, 147, 160, 193, 238 

state capital, 185 (and note), 190 
Lancaster County, 74, 75, 81, 100, 112 
Lancaster road, 87 (and note) 

turnpike, 175 (and note), 17S, 176, 190 
Lancastrian system of education, 224 
Langhorne, home for girls, 290 
Latrobe, Benjamin H., 192 
Laurel Hill, 153 
Lebanon, 190 

Lee, General, 260, 261, 262, 263 
Lehigh Coal Company, 219 (and note) 

Navigation Company, 219 (and note) 
Lei per, Thomas, 236 
Leland, Charles Godfrey, 248 
Lenni Lenape, 2 
Letitia House, 38, 39 
Lewes, 6, 54 

Liberty Bell, 85, 86, 140 
Library, Philadelphia, 55, 83, 99, 196 
"License, High, Law," 277 
Lincoln, Abraham, 256, 257, 258, 262, 264 
Liquor selling, 88, 215, 277 
Literature in Philadelphia, 198 
Lititz, 201 

Lloyd, David, 40, 64-66, 68, 69, 79 
Lloyd, Thomas, 40, 41, 43, 46-49, 53 
Logan, James, 55, 63, 65, 79, 89-92, 94, 99 
Lotteries, 215 
"Lower Counties" (Delaware), 34, 44, 

48, 51, 58, 59, 67 
Lowrie, Walter, 240 
Loyalhanna, 108 
Lumber industry, 289 
Lutherans, 74, 173, 226 

McClellan, George B., 259, 260 
McClurg, Joseph, 221 
McKean, Thomas, 155, 188, 207 
Madison, James, i68 (and note) 



Magazines, see Periodicals 

Mail (about 1730), 87, 88 

Manufacturing, 88, 179, 193, 285, 287, 289 

Marcus, Hook, 200 

Market Houses, 164, 165 (and note) 

Markham, William, 23 (and note), 24, 30, 
48, 53, 54, 63 (and note) 

Maryland, Boundary between, and Penn- 
sylvania, 30, 34, 42-44, Chap. XI 

Mason, Charles, 118, 119 (and note) 

Mason and Dixon's Line, 1 18-120 

Massacre of Wyoming, 158 

Mauch Chunk, 177, 218-220, 236 

May or Mey, Captain, 4, 5 

Meade, George G., 259, 262 

Mennonites, 40, 73-75, 144, 201, 226 

Mexican War, 245, 246 

Mey or May, Captain, 4, 5 

Middle Ferry bridge, 191 

MifHin, Thomas, 137, 145, 167 (note), 171, 
181, 182, 187 

Military appropriations, 57, 58, 69, 93-95 1 
99, 100, 102, 103 

MiHtia, 78 

Militia Law, 103 

Mineral wealth, 290 

Mining coal, 218 

Minisinks, 2, 90, 91 

Mint, United States, 174 

Minuit, Peter, 6, 7 

"Molly Maguires," 272 

Montgomery County, 74, 193 

Moravian Indians, 100, 112 

Moravians, 74, 100, 105, 112, 144, 201 

More, Judge Nicholas, 46 

Morgan, William, 223 (note) 

Morris, Gouverneur, 167 

Morris, Robert, 140 (and note), 145, 162, 
163 (and note), 167, 173 

Morris, Robert Hunter, 99, 106 

Morton, John, 134 (note), 140 (and note) 

Mounted Police, 282 

Muhlenberg, Frederick A., 173 

Muhlenberg, Gottlieb Heinrich, 173 (note) 

Muhlenberg, Henry M., 173 

Muhlenberg, John P. G., 173 (note) 

Muhlenbergs, the, 201 

Mutiny of soldiers, 160, 161 

Nassau, Fort, 5, 6 

National government moved to Washing- 
ton, 185 



INDEX 



309 



"Native American" Riots, 243 
Natural gas, 269 
Nazareth, 74, 201 
Negroes, see Riots, Race 
New Amstel (Newcastle), 9, 10 
New Castle, 9, 21 (and note), 30, i,2 
New Jersey, 14; sold to Quakers, 14 
New Orleans, Battle of, 210 (note) 
New Sweden, 8, 9 

conquered by the Dutch, 8, 9 

taken by the English, 10 
New York boundary, 123, 124 
Newspapers, early, 166, 187, 188 
Non-Importation Agreements, 128, 131 
Non-intercourse Act, 209 
Norris, Isaac, 85, 86 (and note) 
Norris, Isaac 2d, 94 (and note), 96, 106 
Northampton County, 100 
Nova Caesarea, 14 

Oaths, Quakers and, 70, 71, 77 

Oil, 267-269 

"Old Ironsides," (frigate), 211 

"Old Ironsides," (locomotive), 237 

Old Swedes' Church, 11 

Onrust (Restless), 4 

Ord, E. O. C, 259 

"Orders in Council," 208, 209 

Oxenstiern, Count, 6, 7 

Oxford, 201 

Packer, William F., 256 

Pageant, Historical (1912), 275 

Paine, Thomas, 198 

Palatinate, 39, 73 

Palatines, 73, 81 (and note) 

"Paoli Massacre," 146 

Paper mills, 42, 193 

Paper money, 78 

Pastorius, Francis Daniel, 41, 42 

Patterson, General Robert, 234 

Pattison, Robert E., 277, 279 

"Paxton (Paxtang) Boys," in, 114 

Penn, Gulielma Maria (Springett), wife 

of William Penn, 17 (note) 
Penn, Hannah (Callowhill), wife of 

William Penn, 17, 72, 79, 89 (note) 
Penn, John, " the American," son of 

William Penn, 56, 89 (and note) 
Penn, John, son of Richard Penn (and 

grandson of William), in, 112, 

114, 116, 122, 136, 148, 197 



Penn, Letitia, daughter of William IV-nn, 

39, 55, 72 
Penn, Richard, son of William Penn, 89 

(note), 1 1 1 (note) 
Penn, Richard, son of Richard Penn (and 

grandson of William), 136 
Penn, Thomas, son of William Penn, 89 

(and note), 90, 103 (note), 116 
Penn, Admiral, Sir William, 15, 18 
Penn, William, birth, 15 

education, 15, 16 

and New Jersey, 14, 15 

becomes a Quaker, 16, 17 

marriages, 17 (note) 

the "concessions," 17 

as a colonizer, 18 

grant of Pennsylvania, 18, 19 

motives in establishing his province, 
19, 20 

Charter, 22, 23 

secures Delaware, 22 

plans Philadelphia, 24-26 

comes to America, 31,32 

personal appearance, 32 

visits Lord Baltimore, 34 

treaty with Indians, 2, 35, 36 

"Letitia House," 38, 39 

returns to England (1684), 42 

arrested, 44, 45 

under suspicion, 45, 46 

"Essay of the Peace of Europe," 46 

" Fruits of Solitude," 46 

deprived of his province, 50, 5 1 

province restored, 52 

returns to Pennsylvania, 55 

"Pennsbury," 23, 56, 57 

"Charter of Privileges" (1701), 58, 59 

Charter of Philadelphia, 60 

returns to England, 60 

in debtors' prison, 61 

struck with paralysis, 72 

dies, 72 

lead statute of, 197 (and note) 
Penn, William, Jr., 61, 65, 66, 72 
"Pennamite and Yankee War," 122 
Penn Charter School (William), 49 
Penns' interest in Pennsylvania, bought 

out, 156, 157 (and note) 
Pennsbury, 23, 56, (and note) 57 
Pennsylvania, 

Assembly and Military Appropria- 
tions, 93-95 



3IO 



INDEX 



Pennsylvania (continued) 

boundary between, and Maryland, 30, 

34 
changes in legal code, 77 
charter of, 22, 23 

"Charter of Privileges," (1701), 58, 59 
Confederates in, 259-265 
efforts to make a crown colony, 114, 

115 
extent of province, 21,22 
finances, 266, 267 
"Frame of Government," 27, 28 
government modified, 46, 48 
interest of the Penns sold to Assembly, 

156, 157 (and note) 
Military requisitions (1709), 69, 70 
Penn's motives in establishing, 19, 20 
new government (1776), 138 
origin of name, 20 
paper money issued, 78 
plan of government, 28-30 
position in history, 291 
province taken from Penn, 50, 51 
under Fletcher, 51, 52 
new frame of government (1696), 53 
ratification of United States Constitu- 
tion, 169 
royal grant of, 18, 19 
troubles in, 46, 47 
Pennsylvania College, 227 
"Pennsylvania Dutch," 74 
Pennsylvania Gazette, 82 (and note) 
Pennsylvania Hall burned, 241, 242 
Pennsylvania Hospital, 196-197, 206 
"Pennsylvania Plan, The," of Nomina- 
tion, 222 
Pennsylvania Railroad,238, 239, 261 (note) 
" Pennsly vania Society for the Encourage- 
ment of Manufactures and the 
Useful Arts, The," 193 
Pennypacker, Samuel W., 281, 282 
Pequea, 200 
Periodicals, 82, 247, 248 
Perry, Oliver H., 210 
Peters, Robert, 96 
Petroleum, 267-269 
Philadelphia 

British in, 151 

British evacuation of, 152, 153 
care for National Troops, 266 
charter of (1789), 171 
charter (1701), 60, (1701), 62 



Philadelphia {continued) 

about (1730), 87, 88 

consolidation of, 253, 254 

Continental Congress leaves, 161 

early water supply, 192 

July 4th (1788), 170 

laid out, 24, 26 

a literary center, 198 

name of, 26 (and note) 

National Capital, 172 

Public buildings, 276 (and note) 

rejoicings over Yorktown, 159 

(1682), 2,i 

(1684), 42 

(1787), 163-166 

threatened by " Paxton Boys," 1 1 i-i 14 

War excitement, 261 
Philadelphia County, 34, 37, 224 
Philadelphia Library, 55, 83, 99, 196 
Philadelphia, Germantown and Norris- 

town road, 236, 237 
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, 237 
Philadelphia and Trenton road, 237 
Philadelphia and West Chester road, 238 
Philosophical Society, American, 206 
Phipps, Henry, 286 
Pickett's Charge, 263 
Pirates, 53, 54, 57 
Pitt, Fort, 108, no 

Pittsburgh, 108, 109, 190, 220, 221, 237, 
238, 258, 261, 269, 273, 286, 287 
Poe, Edgar Allen, 247 
Pollock, James, 251 (and note) 
Polly, the ship, 133 
Pontiac, 109, no (note) 
Poor Richard^ s Almanac, 83 
Popular Party, 64 
Porcupine's Gazette, 187 
Portage Railroad, 217, 218 
Porter, David Rittenhouse, 233, 234, 244 
Port Folio, 199 

Post, Christian Frederick, 105, 108 
Postmaster general, Franklin, 137 
Post office, first in Pennsylvania, 87, 165 
Presbyterians, schools of, 201 
Presidential election (1800), 188-190 
Preston, Samuel, 67 
Priestley, Joseph, 203 
Princeton, New Jersey, Continental Con- 
gress moves to, 161 (and note) 
Printing, 50 (and note), 80 
Printz, Governor, 7, 8 



INDEX 



311 



Prison reform, 215 

Privateers, 53 

Prohibition movement, 254, 277 

Proprietary Government in Pennsi'lvania, 

character of, 141, 142 
Proprietary Party, 63 
Public Ledger, 242 
Public Works, sale of, 252 

Quakers 

doctrines of, 12, 13 

end of political influence, 141, 144, 147 

peace principles tried, 48 

and oaths, 70, 71, 75, 77 

support side of Indians, g2 (note) 

resign from Assembly, 104 

and slavery, 157, 226 
Quarry, Robert, 64 
Quay, Matthew Stanley, 272 

Radnor, 201 

Railroads, early, 236-238, 238-240 

Read, Thomas Buchanan, 248 

Reading, 190, 193 

Redemptioners, 81 

Reed, Joseph, 136, 137 

Reforms in Eighteenth century, 215 

Republicans, 144 

Revere, Paul, 133, 134 

Revolution, Pennsylvania in, 125-142, 

143-161 
Reynolds, John F., 259, 263 (and note) 
Rhoads, Samuel, 134 (note) 
Riot Act, 113 
Riots 

Election, of 1742, 94 

Molly Maguire, 272 

"Native Americans," 243, 244 

Pittsburgh, 273 

Race, 242, 243 

"Weavers'," 243 
Rising, Governor, 8 
Ritner, Joseph, 227, 232, 234, 241 
Rittenhouse, David, 120, 141, 174, 202, 

203, 206 
Rittinghuysen (Rittenhouse), William, 42 
Roberts, John, 154, 155 
Roberts, Jonathan, 240 
Ross, George, 134 (note) 
Ross, James, 207 

Rush, Dr. Benjamin, 140 (note), 188 
Rutter, Thomas, 88 



Sachem, 3 

St. David's Church, 202 
Sanitary Fair, 266 
Schools, Public, 224, 225 
Schulze, John Andrew, 223 
Schuylkill River, discovered, 4, 26 
Schwenkfelders, 75 
Scotch-Irish, 75-77, in 
Seneca Indians, 15S 
Shackamaxon, :^:^ 

treaty at, 35 
Shawanese, 2 
Shawnees, 2, 105 
Shipbuilding, 194, 221, 285 
Shippen, Edward, 56 (and note), 60, 63 
Shippen, Peggy, 154 
Shipyards, 285 
Sidney, Algernon, 27 
Silk, 290 

Six Nations, 92, 158, 159 
Slack water navigation, 220 
Slavery, 42, 68 

petition of German Friends against, 
157 

Supreme Executive Council and, 157, 
240-243 
Slaves, fugitive, 249, 250 
Smith, James, 140 (note) 
Smith, Provost William, 147 
Smith, Sydney, 235 
Snyder, Simon, 207, 208, 214, 216 
Soldiers' Orphans, 266 
South, The, meeting friendly to, 256, 257 
Spanish- American War, 281 
Stage line (1804), 191 
Stages, 191 

Stamp Act, 127 (and note), 130 
Stamp Act Congress, 127, 128 
Stanton, Edwin M., 255, 265 
"State Constabulary," 282 
State House, 84, 136, 140 
Steamboats, 176, 177 (and note), 204, 221 
Steel, 287, 289 
Stenton, 99 

Stevens, Thaddeus, 226, 2^2, 2^^^,, 265 
Stewart, Charles, 211 (and note) 
Stokley, Mayor, 273 
Story, Thomas, 58 (note), 60 
Stove, the Franklin, 200 
Strikers, 273, 281 

Hazelton, 280 (and note) 

Homestead, 279 (and note), 280 



312 



INDEX 



Stuart, Edwin S., 282, 283 
Stuart, General, 260, 262 
Stuyvesant, Peter, 9 
Sullivan, General, 158, 159 
Sumter, Fort, 257-259 
Superior Court, 280 (and note) 
Supreme Executive Council, 143 
Swannendael, 6 
Swedes on the Delaware, 6-9 
Swedes' Church, Old, 11 
Swedes' Ford, 146 

Taney, Roger B., 230 (note) 

Tariff in Pennsylvania, 194, 211, 212 

Taylor, Bayard, 249 

Taylor, George, 140 (note) 

Tea ships at Philadelphia, 133 (and note) 

Tea Tax, 132 

Teedyuscung, 105, 122 

Tener, John K., 283 

Thomas, George, 93, 95 

Thomson, Charles, 92 (note), 134, 136 

Tinicum Island, 8 

Treaty, Penn's great, with the Indians, 2, 

35 
Treaty Elm, 35 
Trenton, British at, 145 
Triangle, Erie, 124 
Tunkers, 74, 75 

Turnpike, Lancaster, 175, 176 (and note) 
Germantown, 176 

Unalachtigo, 2 

Unami, 2 

"Underground Railroad," 249 

University of Pennsylvania, 147, 155 

Upland (Chester), 9, 24, 26, 32 

Usselinx, William, 5 

Valley Forge, 150, 151 .^ 

Virginia claims, 119 \ \ 

Virginia exiles, 147, 148 \ ] 

Wagons, Conestoga, 190, 191, 237 
W^alking Purchase, 89-91, 95, 102 
Wain, Nicholas, 201 
Walter, Thomas U., 228 
Wampum, Belt of, 36 (and note) 
War of 181 2, 209-2 J I 



Washington, George, 86 (note) 

expedition to Virginia, 96 (and note) 
with Forbes, 108 
made commander-in-chief, 137 
president of Constitutional Conven- 
tion, 168 
President, 173 

retreats to Pennsylvania, 145, 146, 148 
at Valley Forge, 149-151 
and the Six Nations, 158 
and mutiny of soldiers, 161 (note) 
Whiskey Insurrection, 180-182 

Wayne, Anthony, 146, 202 

"Weavers' " Riots, 243 

Welcome, the ship, 31, 32 

Welsh Barony or Tract, 40 

Welsh immigrants, 39, 40 

West, Benjamin, 36 (and note), 204 

Westtown, 201 

Whiskey Insurrection, 180-182 

Whiskey Tax, 179, 180 

White, Josiah, 219 

White Marsh, 149 

W^hittier, John G., 240 (note), 242 

Wicaco, II 

Wickersham, James P., 253 (and note) 

Wilkes-Barre, 127 (note) 

William III, 44, 45, 48, 51, 76 

Williamsport, 222 

Willing, Thomas, 140 

Wilmot, David, 246 

"Wilmot Proviso," 246 

Wilson, Alexander, 203, 204 

Wilson, James, 140 (note), 167 (note), 170 

Wolf, George, 223, 224, 225, 226 

Woolman, John, 157 

Wrightstown, 190 

Wyoming Massacre, 157, 158 
valley, 122 

Yellow Fever, 177, 178, 199 

York, 190, 262 

York county, 193 

York, Duke of, 9, 11, 17, 19, 22, 44 

Yorktown, surrender of, 159 

Zenger, John Peter, trial of, 84 
Zinzendorf, Count, 74 



X982^ «? 



